Sparking Hate
by Bakura's Guardian Angel
Summary: Ryou is a rebellious teenager whose father can't control him. When given the Millennium Ring in a attempt at comfort, a potentially devastating plan is set in motion. Ch 16 up.
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

KK, its a prologue so its a bit shorter then my other stories.

SUMMARY: I'm basically rewriting Ryou's childhood and giving Ryou a similar experience to Bakura's when **he** was a child. So when they meet? It's more like seeing double. How will they handle this? Chaos.

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Ryou burst out of the gaping black hole that used to be the entry of an apartment complex. Fire and smoke flooded out behind him. He stumbled, his arms covering his head. His face was dirty and his shirt and hair were covered with ashes and dust. An explosion vibrated through the air and jolted the ground, causing Ryou to fall forward. Arms outstretched, he landed hard on his elbows and his face slammed against the ground. Flames reached out like greedy fingers, trying to drag him back into the burning nightmare that stained the night red.

He got to his feet, ignoring the pain in his legs and the numb electricity spreading in his right arm, and turned to face the plumes of fire consuming his home. No sooner had he gotten to his feet when a second explosion shook the building and the door, the only means of escape, collapsed. People were gathering, dashing out from their own apartments, gasping in shock. Even as they surrounded him, he had never felt more alone.

His pain fueled anger at the crowds of people. He wanted to yell at them all, "Don't just stand like there's nothing you can do! There are people in there!" Not just people. Everyone he loved was in there; His mother and his sister; His friends. But he found that he couldn't tell them. His voice wouldn't form the words he needed. He could only stand in shock as his life was devoured by the searing heat and dancing flames.

Sirens wailed distantly, coming to the rescue, but too late for Ryou. He could hear the voices of people he knew, crying for help inside the burning building. The ones who hadn't made it out before the door had caved in. Their voices were small and almost nonexistent over the deafening roar of the massive fire. He collapsed back to his knees and his hands dropped to the ground limply. His eyes gazed disbelieving at the smoke, spiraling into the sky. Signaling the destruction of his family.

He tried to cry. He wanted the tears to come. He wanted to let out the unbearable sadness and pain. It was like a weight, a burden that he severely wanted to be lifted off his shoulders. But it was like he had no tears to give; like he couldn't let himself have the satisfaction of grieving for his lost friends and family. He closed his eyes to the flames, their ghostly reflection shimmering on the inside of his eyelids. And he hung his head miserably, his face crumpled in the pain he couldn't find a way to express.

A few yards away, a woman stood gazing at the destruction. She covered her mouth in a silent gasp. Her own apartment was across the street and she couldn't help but feel gratitude that the gang who had done this hadn't set her own building on fire. They had no right to destroy people's property like this! The police who had arrived a few minutes ago had told her that this was the third building they'd set on fire in a week. They seemed to have no motive, except to burn things for the sake of burning them.

Her eyes strayed away from the burning building and scanned the crowds instinctively for anyone who might need help. People stood in clumps, trying to comfort one another. Many were crying, some just stared in dumbfounded awe. People from the neighboring apartments were talking around, figuring out the details of who might still be inside and who had made it out. It was hard to see in the dark with the smoke obscuring her vision and the glare from the flames casting dark flickering shadows in every which way. But she could see well enough to make out a young white-haired boy. He was behind the biggest section of the crowds, kneeling in their shadows as though he was one. She frowned sadly, sympathetic for his forlorn look. He was covered from head to toe in ashes and his shirt and pants were slightly burned. She realized that he must have been one who had escaped before the doorway collapsed. Quickly, she began to make her way over to him through the mobs of people.

After a few minutes of maneuvering the crowds, she reached where the boy was sitting. He hadn't moved an inch since she first saw him. He just knelt there, staring at nothing in particular. She stood before him for a minute, waiting to see if he would even acknowledge that she was there. When he didn't, she knelt down by him. She winced when she saw a particularly bad burn on his right arm. It was red and blistery and she knew that it would probably scar. A marring flaw to forever remind him of this night. She tried to look at his face, which was mostly covered by his soot-blackened hair, but it was too shadowy to make out any details. She realized that he couldn't have been a year older then eight.

_What a tragedy for one to have to go through so young_, she thought compassionately. She hoped that his family had gotten out of the building okay. She couldn't see his eyes, but he didn't seem to be crying so maybe he was just trying to accept the fire in general. Of course it was possible he was in shock. She should probably move him to the road so that he could be one of the first ones into an ambulance. He was too young to sit out here alone. And with that burn, he needed some treatment as soon as possible.

The woman sat, at a loss of what to do for the child who _insisted_ on completely ignoring her. She hesitantly reached out a hand to place comfortingly on his shoulder, but as soon as she moved towards him, he jerked away from her suddenly. She jumped at the abrupt reaction.

Ryou glared at the woman first, then at her hand. The stranger pulled her hand away so fast, it was as though she were reaching out to stroke a dog that was suddenly baring its teeth at her. Ryou took grim satisfaction at her reaction. He didn't want her help. He was fine…they should have helped his family._ She_ should be helping them. Maybe they could still get out of the building before it was too late, but instead she was sitting here with him. Why was she? He looked away from her and stood angrily. His eyes burned with unshed tears.

"Ok, hold on." The woman followed Ryou's example and stood. "Wait…" She said again as Ryou was turning away from her, ignoring her patient calls. Totally wrapped in his own thoughts, he walked away from the fire and the woman. "Hey! Hold on for just a minute!" She lunged forward and grabbed the boy's arm before he could walk away. He whipped around and snatched his arm away from her like she was poisonous. She pulled back, realizing she had grabbed his burnt arm by mistake. His eyes were glaring at her, _accusing _her. She looked at his face. It was angry and held more emotional pain then she had thought possible in one who had seen so little of life. She couldn't understand why he was acting this way. Unless…maybe his family _hadn't_ gotten out after all.

"You should at least wait until the Fire trucks get here. They might still be able to get them out." She said, trying to give him some hope. His face didn't change, and his eyes narrowed in frustration and accusing anger. He couldn't be blaming her for the loss of his family, could he?

"You can't blame anyone for this. The fire just spread too quickly…you shouldn't hold a grudge against people who don't deserve it. Its _no ones_ fault that they didn't make it out. You should be grateful that you made it out safely." She caringly explained to him. She felt that she needed to make him understand. Things like this happened, and he needed to accept it.

He backed away from her a few steps, his eyes hateful. "I blame _everyone._" He growled at her in a way totally unbefitting of an eight-year-old, and then turned swiftly away and walked off into the smoke-thickened night. She watched until she lost sight of him as he entered the line of trees surrounding the local park. She thought about going after him. He was too young to be wandering and his arm really _did_ need to be looked at. But his words at thrown her, and she rejected the idea. What had he meant? Could he have been serious about blaming _everyone_ for this?

The Fire Trucks were just arriving, pulling up and spraying the apartment down with their giant hoses. The water doused the flames bit by bit and the smoke belched out in great clouds. They sent rescue teams in, but she knew that there was no hope of them finding anyone alive. It was just a feeling, yet she knew it was true.

She hoped that the little boy would be okay. After all, he was so small. He would probably go to some family living near by. She was sure he would accept the loss, however great. He just needed some time.

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**REVIEW PLEASE! IT MAKES 'KURA AND RYOU HAPPY! **

As always, it may _CHANGE_ if I reread it and see something that _I_ don't like.

**VISIT my profile to see what's coming soon and to read my other fanfics! (They're all about Ryou and Bakura so far cuz they're my favorite! But I have some about Yugi and also some about the whole Yu-Gi-Oh gang coming as well...)**


	2. Chapter 2: 1st Day of School

**K, first chapter of Sparking Hate, (since technically the first ''chapter'' was a prologue.) Now, don't expect Ryou to be _like _Bakura just yet. He is a teen in MODERN times, not in Ancient Egypt, so he is just more of a 'rebellious teenager' (for now) Also, though this takes away a _bit_ of the realistic-ness of Ryou being rebellious, I don't swear, and neither will my characters. So even though someone like Ryou (in this fic) should swear, he won't.**

**Here's my Disclaimer (am I supposed to have one??): Once upon a time, somone made YGO. They made thousands and thousands of dollars and lived happily ever after. It wasn't me.**

**Also (sorry, you can ALMOST read it!) This fic is going to have flashbacks to Ryou's childhood after the fire and _possibly _Bakura's. If its a flash back, I'm going to _Italiciz_e it okay? But there aren't any in this chapter, so you needn't worry about it yet.**

**ok, SORRY! YOU can read it now...go ahead, don't be shy!**

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The first day Ryou Bakura arrived at Domino High School was the definition of 'gloomy weather'.

The sky was filled with black thunderheads and lightning flashed every few minutes, reflecting off the clouds and turning the sky into a black and gray jigsaw. Each flash was followed closely by deafening cracks of thunder. The sky was heavy and looked as though it was sinking, making the atmosphere in the city claustrophobic. Eventually the heavy clouds couldn't hold in their load of rainwater any longer and they burst at the seams, releasing a torrent of wet, cold, rain.

At first it fell softly, a quiet pattering on the roof of the school, but so sooner had the bell rung, it was coming down in icy sheets. A consistent hiss of wind and water pelted the city, and the windows of Domino High were blurred with streaming rivulets.

The class was chatting, whispering, and talking in general as they milled about the classroom. Each group talked about their own lives, gossiping until the teacher, Soniran, finally walked in.

"Sit down everyone! I have an announcement to make…"

The whole class groaned simultaneously and filed one by one into their seats.

"Ok, we have a new student joining us today." Soniran began with a smile. "He's a little bit late today, but it's natural to be tardy from jet lag when you're coming from so far away. His name is Ryou Bakura, and he is a foreign exchange student from England."

Whispers exploded around the room, boys and girls discussing their views about the news. Soniran continued, undaunted.

"He is fluent in Japanese, so language isn't a problem. I expect you all to welcome him when he arrives."

The teacher moved to his desk, straightening some files and pulling out a red pen and a packet of un-graded papers. The whispers escalated into full-blown conversations. It wasn't every day a new student from Europe joined your school.

"I wonder what he looks like…"

"I bet he'll have an accent…"

"I hope he's nice…"

On the far side of the room, a boy with spiky hair shifted in his seat to speak to a blonde teen that was sitting behind him.

"What do you think, Joey?" Yugi asked softly.

Joey shook his head thoughtfully. "I think he sounds pretty cool, I mean, _England…_But we don't know a whole lot about him yet."

"He must be pretty smart if he was able to learn Japanese and can speak it fluently." Yugi supplied, "What do you think Tea?" Tea had come over from her desk on the opposite side of the room near the windows to see what Joey and Yugi were talking about.

"I think that when he gets here, we should all be really nice to him. England is really far away…I bet he'll be shy. He sounds nice enough though..."

The door clicked open loudly, silencing the class. Soniran looked up from his papers and stood in greeting. A man in a gray suit walked in, and he was followed by a very wet, silver-haired teen. The man walked over to Soniran and they began speaking conversationally. The gray-suited man had a slightly concerned look on his face, but Soniran looked completely at ease.

Unlike the rest of the boys in class, the new student wasn't wearing the blue school uniform. He wore a pair of loose, worn jeans. Holes marred the knees and there were patches that were worn to threads purposely. He wore a tight black and white shirt, and had a black leather jacket on. His long silver-white hair was drenched, as were his dark clothes, which stuck to him like a second skin. Faint splashes sounded as water dripped off him and onto the tile floor. His brown eyes glanced around the room with minimal interest.

The teacher nodded to the man and then walked past him and over to the new student. He began speaking in hushed tones, seemingly informing him of class information he would need. The teen shook his head slightly, but other then that, completely ignored everything. He looked back at the door with a bored expression, as though wondering if it was worth it to try and escape the torture before it had begun.

Soniran nodded matter-of-factly and made a simple gesture to an empty chair. The man in the suit momentarily placed a hand on Soniran's shoulder, said a few more words, and then exited silently. The teacher spoke up.

"Class, this is the new student, Ryou Bakura. Bakura-san, we hope you will enjoy your time in Japan."

Ryou made no acknowledgement to the introduction and made his way to the seat the teacher had directed him to, which was to the left of Tea and directly behind Seto Kaiba. He had the window to his right. He slumped down, dripping water on the floor and dropped his leather book bag, which slid to the floor with a loud thump.

Slouching in his chair, and ignoring the stares boring into him, Ryou half-listened as class finally began. He yawned and stared out the window. _What a school year this will be_, He thought to himself sarcastically.

Tea glanced over at the boy to her left and frowned. Ryou wasn't making the best of first impressions...but she should still give him a chance. His hair shifted slightly as he looked out the window, exposing part of his pale neck and revealing the beginnings of a black tattoo. Tea's eyes widened. That wasn't all though. It also showed that he had his ear pierced. Twice. Twin silver rings, about the diameter of the tip of Tea's pinky, glistened with droplets of water.

She leaned in unconsciously trying to discern the tattoo when she noticed Ryou wasn't facing the window anymore, but was looking at her. She flushed deeply, having been caught staring, and looked at her pencil intently. But she heard his voice, the soft accent flowing neatly with his flawless Japanese.

"Enjoying the view?" He laughed, she looked back up at him, embarrassed.

He was smiling, his lips curved up in a smirk, but his almond eyes were hard.

"Uh-uh no. I was just, um, noticing your…" She trailed off awkwardly. She couldn't place it, but there was something about Ryou…besides his obvious rebellious streak. It was like he thought he was better then everyone else, or maybe he felt that he was inferior and felt a need for attention, which would explain the earrings and tattoo.

"What, this?" Ryou swept his hair off his neck with a thin hand. Droplets of water flung onto the student behind him, a tall boy with sandy hair, and he glared in annoyance. Ryou ignored the look and said, "Stare all you want, I don't care."

The tattoo, primarily black, stood out against Ryou's pale skin. Ryou's dark eyes held Tea's blue ones for a moment before she leaned forward again to examine the art decorating Ryou's skin.

It was a Yin-Yang symbol, but instead of two circles in the centers of the symmetrical sides, there were opposite colored skulls. A snake wrapped itself around the symbol, its tail disappearing around Ryou's neck and the head held up in a hiss. The long fangs were tinted red. The surface the snake was supported on was made of bones, chains, and other things. Ghost-like shadows were in the background, flowing up just barely until they faded onto the underside of Ryou's jaw.

Tea frowned and leaned back, and Ryou gave her a feral grin, laughing quietly at her unsettled expression. He let his hair slide fluidly back, hiding the tattoo and his pierced ear. "I have more if you want to see them sometime…" Ryou said suggestively, his voice laced with mocking sarcasm.

Tea flushed "Tattoos and piercing are against the rules Ryou. I'm Tea by the way." She said quietly, trying to be helpful, but still uneased by Ryou's behavior.

"Well that's _nice, _but what are they going to do? Peel off the tattoo? Take out the earrings and fill up the holes?" Ryou glanced around at the rest of the class, the smile gone. Everyone was glancing back at him their eyes darting to and from his face every few moments, and he knew that all their whispers concerned him. One student especially caught his eye. It was a short kid; his hair was black. And blonde. And red.

_And people accuse _me_ of having unnatural hair. _Ryou rolled his eyes.The kid was looking at him strangely, his wide violent eyes moving back to him every few minutes, and Ryou didn't miss the frequent glances in the direction of the girl next to him. So the short tri-colored kid had a crush on Tea…and he was _jealous_.

Ryou knew that he could get amusing reactions from him and mentally stored the information away. Ryou also noticed the blonde behind him and a pointy-haired brunette sitting to the right, speaking quickly. It reminded him of a pair of gossiping women…a pair of dunces then.

He let his eyes continue their self-guided tour of the room.

There was a black haired teen with a red and black headband in the far back right hand corner of the room. He had a dice earring hanging down beside his neck, so apparently Ryou wasn't the only one who broke the rules in this school. The boy was staring at him, curious and thoughtful at the same time, and totally unashamed of his blatant interest in the new student. His head was tilted slightly to the side, his finger twirling a strand of dark hair methodically. When his and Ryou's eyes met, he smiled just barely. His eyes were penetrating, their green gaze the kind of which could stare down any opposition. But Ryou let his own gaze slip off his face and move on to the rest of the class.

The teen in front of Ryou had longer, brown hair, and had his nose in a book called 'Theories & Hypothesis of the Virtual Cosmos'. He also had an air of superiority. A small group of girls in the front of the class were all talking at once and glancing at him at random intervals. Ryou was obviously a topic of interest here. Just like he had been in all the other schools. The interest would die soon enough, after they learned that he wasn't interested in any of them.

Ryou was almost finished with his survey of the class. He had thoroughly taken in almost every student. Then there was the teacher, who, despite the lack of attention and interest in his class, was continuing his lecture and writing numbers and symbols all over the white board. So Soniran-_sama_ was lenient and would probably not care, or even notice, if Ryou slept through his class.

Tea spoke up again, breaking Ryou's train of thought, "You also might want to consider cutting your hair." She said, ever helpful. "The gym coach has some problems with boys who have longer hai-"

Ryou turned full in his seat and glared at her, interrupting coldly, "Like I care what anyone here thinks." She looked away from him, embarrassed tears coming to her eyes, and began writing notes quickly.

"Whatever…" Ryou muttered darkly in English.

_Smack!_ The loud crack resonated around the room. The source, a ruler held by a serious looking Soniran. The ruler had fallen on Ryou's desk, a mere inch from his pale fingers. The sound had caused Tea to jump a good six inches, Ryou on the other hand didn't even flinch. The class looked at the teacher. The teacher glared at Ryou. Ryou looked up through his messy bangs questioningly.

"Bakura-san. I do not tolerate improper etiquette in my classroom. That includes talking out of turn about off topic subjects _and _slouching in your chair. Have some respect for your teacher and your fellow classmates."

"Yes, Soniran-sama. So sorry." Some students giggled at Ryou's sarcastic tone. Soniran didn't seem to notice. "I'll do my best to _behave_ and not let it happen again." He made a show of sitting up straight in his chair, flicking his hair casually, and folding his hands properly on his desk.

"See that you don't, Bakura-san." Ryou nodded, his eyes wide and innocent. The teacher nodded back smartly and returned to the board. He didn't see as Ryou's 'innocent' eyes turned mocking and he slid back down in his chair deliberately.

By this time, Tea was hardly surprised when she saw him pull out an I-pod. Not only that, but it was the latest version of the I-pod. It was extremely expensive and Tea wondered how in the world he had earned the money to buy it, but maybe it had been a gift from his parents or something. Ryou surreptitiously slid the earplugs into his ears, his hair doing a tremendous job of hiding the thin white chord and silver plugs. She could just hear the heavy metal and rap that must have been blasting into Ryou's ears.

Across the room, Yugi and Joey were whispering to each other quietly.

"He looks like the literal term 'White Trash'." Joey gave his opinion outright.

"Well…we don't know about his background. Maybe we're being too judgmental." Yugi said trying to be nice, but his voice was doubtful and his eyes held hints of suspicion.

"Come _on_ Yug. He's totally ignored Soniran-sama, and made fun of him. And I know you didn't miss the I-pod. He's even hitting on Tea!"

"He is NOT hitting on her!" Yugi snapped, his face going bright red.

"All's I'm saying is that Bakura is going to cause problems. He's _gang_ material. You saw Devlin looking at him? Yeah, well I hear Devlin's got a gang. Maybe he'll ask Bakura to join. Bakura's probably got a knife in his locker and hangs out in alleys and drinks and…"Joey trailed off at Yugi's shocked, disbelieving expression. "Maybe I'm going a little overboard on the assumptions, but I still think he's trouble."

"We don't know anything about him yet!" Yugi insisted again, but it was half-hearted and in his mind, he was agreeing with Joey.

"Look at him! His hair is like half way down his back, and it's white! Who dyes their hair white unless they're total rebels? Coach will have something to say about that, lemme tell you! And his bangs are almost completely covering his face. It's like... he's an albino emo! Maybe his eyes are red…don't albinos have red eyes?"

Yugi shrugged, glancing for the hundredth time at Ryou Bakura.

'_Other me? What do you think about Bakura?' _Yugi thought at the Spirit living in his Millennium Puzzle. He fingered the golden pendant, holding it carefully. Though he had only just recently discovered the spirit, but he already felt like he could trust him with his questions and problems.

'_I think that it's up to you to decide, Aibou. You should do what you think is right.'_ Said the Spirit kindly. Yugi couldn't help but feel the Spirit's response was totally unhelpful and he huffed, frustrated.

"Joey, we need to give Bakura-san a chance. He could be really nice for all we know!"

Joey looked at him incredulously, "Not likely!" He protested, "But whatever. When he _beats_ you up, don't say I didn't warn you!" Yugi looked at him, then back to Ryou fearfully, and Joey reassured him, saying, "Hey! I'll back you up! Even though I'll think you're an idiot for trying to talk to him." Yugi nodded, wondering if he should be comforted, or offended.

Finally class ended. Ryou stood quickly, and although he was on the far side of the room, was out of the class before the majority of the other students.

He pulled a white sheet of paper out of his book bag as he walked towards the Common's Area in the front of the school. The man in the suit, the Principal apparently, had given it to him before his Home Room period. It was his schedule, his locker number and combo, and his Student Number, which he would need to get his lunches. _If I even eat lunch_ thought Ryou, glancing down C hall towards the cafeteria. The smell of cheap, frozen school food almost made him gag and he turned towards A hall instead, where the gym was located.

Physical Education was his second class of they day. He stalked into the locker room where boys were yelling at each other. Clothes flew threw the air and Ryou dodged a pair of gym shorts nimbly. He walked into the Coach's office where a tall, broad-shouldered, man was yelling at a lanky student with square rimmed glasses. The student's knees were shaking slightly and he was pale.

"Get to the Nurse, Okashii-chan. And don't you dare blow chunks in my Locker Room, or you'll be cleaning toilets for a week!" The boy ran out of the office, and the man, presumably the Coach, looked up at Ryou. His eyes were squinty and he looked Ryou up and down analytically.

"You're the new student? Huh…Bakura, right?" Ryou gave the slightest of nods in reply.

"Well, I'm Coach Muzukashii…I feel that as the Coach, it's my job to lay down the rules for you. I'm not going to play games with you Bakura. First of all…you have to do something with that hair of yours." He scoffed "I don't care what, but get it cut and colored before Friday."

Ryou just looked at him, eyes narrowed stubbornly, then he said lowly "My hair is like this naturally. I'm not going to get it cut, and especially not colored, just because you don't like it."

"Alright. Have it your way…We'll see how long you keep that pretty hair of yours after a week of detention with me. After school, Bakura-chan, 3:30 pm. You'll be cleaning the locker rooms."

Ryou sighed, shaking his hair out of his face. "Ok, fine. Whatever. Don't I need a uniform or something?"

Muzukashii looked confused, but then said roughly, "Oh, yes. What's your size? Small or Medium?"

"Medium." Muzukashii pulled out a folded shirt and pair of long P.E. shorts.

"Here. You're required to where this to gym class, but the school is not responsible for getting them cleaned. So if you want clean gym clothes, you get to take them home and do your own laundry."

Ryou took the clothes and, without a second glance, returned to the locker room. Boys were still goofing off and throwing towels at each other, but more noticed him when he reentered and many gave him odd glances. _Understandable, _Ryou thought skeptically, _Who isn't interested in the 'new kid'? _

Ryou shook off his jacket, stuffing it into one of the lockers that lined the brick walls. Then he pulled off his shirt, revealing a well-sculpted torso and toned arms. But his right arm was anything but perfect. The forearm had dark red marks covering it, and also paler skin where the burns from his childhood had left their traces. All the other boys, who had been staring at him periodically, looked away. Ryou smiled slightly, knowing that he was better then the majority of them, and enjoying their embarrassment. Then, rubbing his right arm, he frowned, but he pushed away the memories from his past. They wouldn't do him any good, and they had only caused him pain.

When the whole class was dressed and ready, they all filtered out into the gym. Muzukashii was last, and when he finally did exit the locker room, the first thing he did was blow an ear-piercing whistle. It echoed for a few moments after he had stopped only to be replaced by,

"Line UP!"

Ryou assumed he would be last and went to the end of the line. He was incorrect though as Muzukashii bellowed, "Bakura! Get your butt in alphabetical order!" Ryou followed Muzukashii's pointing finger and stood between too stereotypical nerds. The looked at him distrustfully, exchanging glances around Ryou.

Muzukashii wielded his graffitied clipboard and began taking role. After a five minute role-call, they went outside and ran a mile. Ryou ran it in seven minutes…three minutes faster then the first of the other students. It earned him an appreciative nod from Coach, but got him nasty looks from the Coach's other personal favorites. Not that Ryou cared.

For the remainder of P.E., Coach said they would be playing Dodge ball. They all lined up on opposite sides of the gym. Red, rubber balls were stretched across the middle. When the whistle blew, they all ran. Ryou picked up a dodge ball, aimed, and fired.

--

_Riiiing!_ The final bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. Ryou lifted his head off his desk and picked up his bag. His eighth period was English…and the English teacher, Ms. Shinsetsu, already despised him. She glared at him as he exited, shooting daggers with her sharp, grey eyes. It was probably because he had slept through most of her class…or because he had flipped off the boy sitting beside him because he was commenting about his hair.

Either one was a sure way to earn a teacher's loathing.

Ryou exited the school building with a sea of other 10th, 11th, and 12th graders. He remembered quite well that he was supposed to be going to Muzukashii-san's office so he could clean the Locker Room, but he didn't care. It wasn't like he had never had, and skipped, detention before. They would get it in their heads that he didn't do detention, and they'd get over it. The worst they could do was suspend him, something he would actually appreciate. If they wanted to _ban_ him from school…by all means, let them.

Ryou rambled over to his transportation, a sleek black Suzuki Motorcycle. Its shiny surface reflected the cloudy sky. It was threatening to rain again, but Ryou had driven to school in the rain, and he was capable of driving back home in it. He swung his leg over, starting the engine. It roared to life, making a pair of girls strolling down the road jump, and he pulled out of the school parking lot.

He pressed the gas hard, speeding ever faster west towards his apartment in West Domino. He veered through traffic, narrowly avoiding bikers and other cars alike. He dutifully ignored the blare of horns complaining after him.

Finally he pulled up to a large glass and stucco apartment complex. He pulled into the subterranean parking lot, showing his ID to the guard, before pulling into an empty space next to a beat up jeep that looked like it _might_ have been yellow once. He rolled his eyes at the jeep, knowing exactly who it belonged to, and kicked the tire in frustration. The torture just didn't end, did it?

He pulled his book bag onto his shoulder and followed a dimly lit hallway. At the end was a metal door. Ryou pressed a green arrow on the right-hand side of the door and waited. After a few seconds, the metal door slid into the wall to reveal another metal door, which also slid away and gave entry to a spacious elevator. He stepped in and pressed the lit 3 on the side panel. A circle glowed around it, the doors closed, and the elevator began moving up slowly.

When it reached the third floor, a bell chimed, and an electronic voice said, "Level Three". The doors slid open and Ryou exited into another hall. This one, unlike the subterranean hall, was brightly lit with dangling light fixtures. The carpet was a deep blue with grey leafy patterns sprawled across it. He walked down the hall a ways until he reached the door number 613. Pulling a silver key off a chain around his neck, he jiggled the lock. The tumblers sprang and the knob turned easily.

As soon as Ryou entered, he went straight to the kitchen. As he expected, his father was sitting at the table. He was eating an English muffin and holding a tall glass of milk. Ryou dropped his bag loudly to the tile floor and folded his arms across his chest.

"What are you _doing _here?" He snarled in English, glaring angrily.

His father looked up. A look of mild surprise crossed his face, and then was replaced with a white-toothed smile.

"Ryou! Son, how are you? It's been a few months, hasn't it!" He stood in welcome.

Ryou ignored his father's pleasantries and demanded, "_Why_ are you here? Do you need something…or were you just coming to check up on me again?"

A frown crossed his father's face and his eyebrows furrowed. "Ryou, I just wanted to come see how you were settling in. Japan is quite a ways from England. It's my responsibility as your fath-"

"I don't care about your 'responsibilities'. You came _all_ the way from Egypt…_just_ to see if I could take care of myself? Do you _think_ that I need a chaperone? Just stop trying to make up for how screwy my life is! I'm almost seventeen, I don't need you to hold my hand!" Ryou voice escalated, and when he stopped the room had a sharp silence that neither could break at first.

Ryou's father shook his head and ran his fingers through his thick hair, at a loss for words. "Son, I don't understand." He finally said. "Why don't you talk to me? We can get you a councilor or something, if that's what you need."

"I don't need any help. Not from a councilor, and especially not from you."

His father nodded and shifted uncomfortably. His eyes pained, and said, "Well, I guess I'll go then. I'll be in town for a few days before I head back to the excavation in Egypt. It's the local motel, the number's on the fridge." He shuffled past Ryou and into the entry hall. His coat hung on a hook and he shrugged into it. The door clicked open and Ryou followed to watch his father exit. He stepped out, but just before closing the door he said, brightening just slightly, "Oh yes! I got you a little something. Just a souvenir from work, but it's an antique. Real gold, too, if I'm not mistaken. I left it on the counter in an envelope. Hope you enjoy it, son." And with that he left.

Ryou closed the door, shaking his head at his stupid parent, and then slouched into the living room. He flicked on the television, grabbing an energy drink from the fridge before flicking through channels aimlessly. It wasn't until almost 10:30, after he had eaten, surfed the web, and done a minimal portion of his stack of homework, that he remembered his father's 'souvenir'. He reentered the kitchen, immediately spotting the envelope his father had mentioned.

It was a tan, manila-colored envelope. It was thick, and when he picked it up, it weighed more then he expected. His eyebrows rose in surprise, at the very least, he could probably sell it and buy himself something useful. He pulled a switchblade out of his back pocket and sliced open the packing tape. Then, slipping the knife back into his jeans pocket, he dumped the package upside down with one thin hand, shaking it slightly. A gentle jingle came from the envelope, then the object came tumbling out. It rang onto the counter, the gold gleaming brilliantly.

Ryou picked it up by a thin chord tied around a golden loop connected to the top. It was a pendant of some sort, he assumed. At least, that's what it looked like to him. It was a ring, with a triangle in the center. And in the center of the triangle was an eye made of trails of darker gold that went all the way to the sides of the triangle. Definitely Egyptian.

Ryou once again raised an eyebrow, this time in skeptical disgust. So _this_ was his father's 'souvenir'. He shook it, listening as the five dagger sharp tassels hanging off the ring chimed against one another. The sound reminded him of wind chimes that had hung in his apartment back when his mother and sister had loved to hear them as the wind blew through the open windows…

He closed his eyes momentarily, remembering. Then his eyes opened and narrowed darkly, the memories shredded. He promptly tossed the artifact back on the counter where it clattered noisily, and returned to the living room where heavy-metal music poured out of the TV set.

He sighed leaning back. Suddenly he shivered as a rush of cold air flowed over him. The room felt much colder then it had moments ago. He stood to check the thermostat, muttering something about his father always screwing things up, but he was interrupted. A laugh as cold as the air flowing over Ryou filled the room, seeming to penetrate his mind, and at the same time feeling solid as it pressed on his ears. He froze, _What the he- _he was cut off as the laugh grew stronger. He put one hand to his head where the voice felt less like a sound and felt more like a physical pain...

"…Hello, Host."

* * *

Ok, A/N: The names of the teachers, I don't know if they are 'realistic' for this taking place in Japan...but they are real Japanese words (I'm not creative enough to come up with original names!) So if they're suckish...sorry!

**I'm going to try something new with reviews. I am NOT going to update this until I get at least 5 reviews for this chapter. Got it?? So if you read this, and you don't review, you can know that I when I don't update, its YOUR fault. Ok, I'm done threatening now!**

**really...please review. IT MAKES ME HAPPY -BIG smile- I'll even give you a SHOUT out! Cuz you know you love those...**


	3. Chapter 3: Spirit of the Millennium Ring

**A/N:**Ok...sorry this took longer then expected because I hit a mini writer's block. Hope you all like!

**Mini Key**:

_'Ryou to Bakura or opposite through the mind link'_

_Thoughts_

Yadonushi: Host or Landlord (he switches from this to just saying Host...)

Koe: Voice

and 'the other' is Bakura. You're probably smart enough to figure that out, but better safe then sorry, right?

Um...so yea. **Disclaime**r: If I owned YGO, Bakura would be a main character and the Pharaoh would have lost to him because the Heart of the Cards failed him.

READ ON...

* * *

"Hello, Host…"

Ryou straightened, ignoring the headache that accompanied the voice. He pulled out his switchblade instantly, flicking it open and holding it steadily. It glinted dangerously in the light from the television.

The voice chuckled, "That won't do you any good, Yadonushi." It said. Ryou let his breath hiss between his teeth, ignoring the threat.

As before, the cold voice seemed to be _inside_ his mind as well as in the room. It resounded off the walls, echoing. Ryou looked around, his eyes piercing the dark, looking for the source. But he couldn't pinpoint the direction it came from…it sounded as though it was _everywhere_. But that wasn't possible.

Ryou balanced on the balls of his feet, catlike. His body tensed, prepared to defend or attack.

"Why don't you come out, instead of hiding?" Ryou jeered in an attempt to force who ever it was to give away their position. He walked forward, going back into the kitchen where it was coldest. He flicked the lights on with one hand, the other holding the knife out.

No one was there. Everything was exactly as he had left it before going to watch TV. He turned back to the living room, backing up so the only thing behind him was the countertop.

"Are you scared?" Ryou asked softly. He could sense that he wasn't alone, but who ever he was speaking to remained hidden. Smart, on their part. But their voice broke the silence once again, mockingly.

"Scared of you, Host? Hardly…you aren't a threat to me."

"Why do you keep calling me that?" Ryou inquired, his voice irritated, but calm. He'd learned from experience to never show fear. Fear was a weakness, and any adversary could take advantage of it, using it to make _you_ make the first mistake.

There was no answer this time though, just another soft laugh. For a moment, nothing happened. The temperature dropped another few degrees. Everything was silent but for the TV in the next room…Then Ryou heard the voice again, but this time it wasn't out loud, but only in his mind.

'_Turn around, Yadonushi…' _Ryou flipped around impulsively. Something caught his eye and he turned his head to see the artifact that his father had given him. It lay just where he had tossed it. The tassels were splayed around it and the Eye of Horus watched him. Ryou stepped forward and picked up the Ring by the chord attached to it. His eyes narrowed and he turned once again, exiting the kitchen, Ring in hand, and going back into the living room where the TV still blared music.

"Where are you…" He muttered to himself. He didn't have to wait long for an answer.

'_I'm right here.'_ A surge of pain flowed through Ryou's mind. He stumbled, almost dropping his knife and cutting his hand in the process. He dropped the Ring on the ground and put his free hand to his forehead, pressing hard in an attempt to rid himself of the sharp pain. His skull felt like it would explode and it felt like nails were being ripped through his mind. The pain lessened momentarily as the voice faded, and Ryou gasped, then he stood up again. His head reeled. What was going on?

"Come _OUT!_ Stop hiding!" Ryou snarled angrily. Adrenaline rushed through his veins. His hands tingled numbly and he tightened his grip on the switchblade. A vein in his neck pulsed visibly, and a bead of sweat dewed on his forehead.

'_How much can you take, Host?' _A second rush of excruciating pain coursed through him, this time reaching farther then his mind. He cried out loudly, grabbing the couch for support as his legs gave way. It felt as if his lungs would burst, his arms prickled with invisible needles. The pain receded again, minimizing so that it focused in a sharp point in a corner of his mind. He looked around, breathing heavily.

"What do you want?" He said, his voice still angry, but quieter and more frustrated. He knelt on one knee, hand gripping the couch as though it were the only thing holding him in reality.

'_Something that you can't give me.' _

"Try me!" Ryou looked around instinctively, desperately trying to find his opponent.

'_Really... perhaps you could help me. But it would be easier for me to _use_ you rather then become dependant on a mortal such as yourself.' _

Ryou stood again, ignoring the throbbing in his head. He looked at the hand holding the knife, realizing that it was slick with blood. He switched hands and wiped the cut hand on his jeans. His eyes never left the dark corners of the room. He once again began walking around the room, looking for a place that could hide a person from view. His foot scuffed the artifact, making a gentle jingling sound, and he moved it so it was sitting on the coffee table, rather then in his way.

"Come out…" Ryou ordered for the third time, his voice shaking with irritation and fatigue. His knees by this time felt ready to collapse under him, the pain in his mind was growing again and he shivered from the cold. His breath clouded in front of his face and he heard a gentle sigh, which progressed into a soft laugh.

"Are you sure you want that, my Yadonushi? You might not like what you see…" The voice paused, waiting to see if he would change his mind. "But if you insist…" A breeze blew across Ryou's neck, shifting his hair so that it left his neck bare. He turned slowly, his hand holding the knife steadily before him.

He flinched, biting his lip to keep from crying out as he looked into the face of someone who could have been his twin. He backed up quickly, tripping over the small table beside the couch. The knife slipped, once again cutting his opposite hand and he swore under his breath. The knife landed on the floor, but Ryou didn't bother to pick it up. The other, who stood, content to watch Ryou humiliate himself, laughed. The sound was cold and harsh and made goose pimples rise over Ryou's skin.

Once again, Ryou looked at him, taking in the identical unruly white hair…the pale skin…down to the black and white shirt and torn jeans, but his eyes were different. Where Ryou had chocolate eyes, this imitation had deep crimson. They flashed with amusement. Anger flared within Ryou as his personality rebelled at being beaten by the other. He shook his hair out of his eyes, clenching his cut hands and gritting his teeth. This earned him yet another dark chortle from the other, who was watching him with curiosity. His gaze was intent, but he seemed unworried by Ryou.

Most people who went up against Ryou were intimidated by his lack of emotion and his _pleasure_ at fighting, and beating, an opponent…in anything, whether it was a fight, a game, even a debate. Not the other. He just took in Ryou with simple interest, a wicked smile on his lips.

"Hmmm…my, my Yadonushi, you _are_ a fighter aren't you. And I haven't even done anything yet."

Ryou growled, "You're _here_. Who are you?"

"I'm the Spirit of your artifact, the Millennium Ring."

"Don't lie! Just answer me."

"Why would I lie?" The other asked, his head tilted to the side slightly, and he took a step towards Ryou, Ryou mimicked the movement, stepping backwards.

"How should I know?" Ryou said snidely, shrugging barely.

"Well…if you must know, I am called Bakura." He said. His eyes followed Ryou's every movement with the expertise of one with experience in conversations, situations, like this, giving away his nonchalant and casual appearance away for what it was. An act.

"You're lying again. That's my name…" Ryou was growing tired of this other's, 'Bakura's', games.

"I'm not lying." And now the other was looking less casual and his eyes held the impatience of one dealing with an immature child. "And I know well what your name is, Ryou Bakura..."

"Just tell me what you want, then leave." Ryou requested tiredly. His mind felt as numb as his hands, which were continually bleeding. Dark ribbons of scarlet stained his skin.

The other laughed again, something he seemed to do a lot for a reason Ryou didn't understand. He didn't find any of this very funny, but then again, some people found situations such as this to be amusing.

"Oh, I'm not going to be leaving, Host. Not now…not ever." He walked forward so swiftly that Ryou hardly noticed the movement until the other stood a mere foot away. He jumped, bringing his hands up, clenched in fists to defend himself. The other didn't even look at them; he examined Ryou's face, searching it. Then the words registered to Ryou, but he couldn't comprehend their meaning.

"Yes, you _are_ leaving. Now." Ryou stood defiantly, locking eyes with the other.

The other smiled, baring sharp teeth. "I need your help, remember? Or did it slip your mind that you _agreed_ to help me get what I want." Ryou ran his mind over the course of their conversation.

"What do you want." He'd said…and the other had answered, "Something you can't give me." And he'd replied… "Try me." But that could hardly be called an agreement…

"I never agreed to help you." He glared, his voice threatening.

"I don't _need_ your consent, Host. But it might be easier on you if you gave it." The amused look was back, but Ryou now saw it, as well, for what it was. Confidence. This other knew that he was in control, and he found watching Ryou struggle for that control, trying to understand what was going on, funny.

"Don't call me that, I'm not Hosting anything." Ryou bristled when the other laughed out loud.

"You're not hosting anything, but you are _my Host._" Ryou stepped back a few steps, putting some distance between himself and the other.

"What are you talking about?"

"I told you I'm not leaving…not now…not _ever._ Now, do you want to reconsider helping me…Host?"

Ryou was becoming increasingly more confused as the conversation continued. The other's words didn't make sense. What did he mean he wasn't leaving? What did he want help with? And, the question most prominent in Ryou's mind, _why_ did the other look like him? And not just similar…_exactly_ like him.

The other spoke up again, and what he said was enough to cause Ryou to shiver involuntarily…because either he was very good at reading emotions and had guessed his thoughts…or he could read minds. Not that Ryou believed in Mind Readers, but it was still frightening when, in a voice that expressed the opinion that Ryou was an absolute baka, he said, "What I mean is exactly what I said. That I'm not leaving. I told you that I was a Spirit, living in the Ring…and now you're my Host. My…Hikari, as it were. _You_ are going to help me gain the other 'Millennium' items, which are very similar to yours…and I have taken on your form because I happen to have no form of my own. Did that answer all of your questions, Yadonushi?"

Ryou glared up at the other, another difference between them…this other was taller then he. "You haven't told me anything." He stated simply.

"Yadonushi, I tire of your idiocy. Are you going to _help_ me, or am I going to _use_ you? Really the only difference is I'll have less work to do if you agree to help me." The other snapped, his patience had worn thin and Ryou realized that it would be a very bad idea to anger this so-called 'Spirit'. He had the sense to recognize a dangerous opponent when faced with one.

He thought for a moment, then nodded saying, "Fine then. I'll help you…if you'll explain exactly _what_ I'm helping you to accomplish." The other smiled.

"A good choice." He moved, stepping carefully around the furniture until he stood over the coffee table. He picked up the item, the Millennium Ring, and tossed it lithely over to Ryou. Ryou caught it with one hand, keeping a firm hold despite his blood-slicked skin. "Put it on." The other, the Koe as Ryou now began thinking of him as he refused to believe his name was Bakura, ordered.

Ryou looked at it suspiciously, but there didn't seem to be anything to fear from it. He did as the koe asked and slipped the thin chord over his head. It's unfamiliar weight settled on his chest.

'_There…now we can speak in a much more…convenient manner.' _

Ryou looked back and forth from the Ring on his chest to the face of the other. His mouth hadn't moved, yet he'd heard his voice as if it were being spoken into his ears.

"How'd you…"

'_You are slow, aren't you. Think it, baka yadonushi.' _

Ryou glared, then thought, _'Explain how you're here…if you're a Spirit, shouldn't you be in whatever afterlife there is?'_

Ryou felt a flare of anger through the connection that was allowing him to speak to the koe. '_There is no afterlife, Host. Not for me. Just an endless existence, just this nothingness. But I've found a purpose, that purpose that you are going to help me achieve.' _

'_You're really a Spirit?' _Ryou thought skeptically. '_I'm having a hard time believing you.'_

'_You are a Baka, Host. If I weren't a Spirit, none of this would be possible. Now go away.'_

'_You haven't explained what I'm helping you do, yet.' _

The other sounded exasperated and impatient as he said, _'If you _happen_ to see any Golden items that look similar to yours, then tell me. I'll explain more later. I need to think, so go away, Yadonushi, or I'll have to explain to you what happens when you irritate me.' _

Ryou looked up, realizing he had been staring at the Ring, and started when the room around him was empty. The koe was nowhere to be seen…but Ryou could feel a small part of his mind the was filled with the familiar presence that he took to be the other. So perhaps he hadn't been lying after all…but Ryou wasn't sure about the 'Host' part of things. He didn't want to have this 'Spirit', if that's what he really was, to be using him as a vessel. So he could only hope that if he helped the koe do whatever it was he was trying to do, get the other items, and then he would leave. Now that Ryou thought about it, trying to gain golden items was an idiotic purpose. What was so special about them? So special that even death wouldn't let you escape trying to get them?

Ryou fingered the golden pendant hanging heavily on his chest, wincing when one of the sharp tassels brushed his cut hand. He looked at the blood, almost dry now, and followed the light to the kitchen. He turned on the hot water in the sink, rinsing the blood off his hands and clearing the deep gashes on his palms and fingers. The skin stung, but he hardly noticed. He was absolutely tired. His eyes felt heavy, and his legs felt like they were weighted with lead. He turned the water off, deciding to take care of his injuries in the morning.

He slumped into his room, his curious thoughts muddled by fatigue. He kicked off his shoes and collapsed onto the bed. He was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

* * *

He woke the next day to the sound of his alarm, which played his heavy metal and rap at such a high volume, his whole room seemed to vibrate. The floor pounded with the bass and Ryou covered his head with thick pillow in an attempt to drown out the noise. Finally he got sick of hearing the music, if it could be called that, and threw one of his discarded shoes at the radio. The shoe missed, hitting the wall just beside it, and Ryou dragged himself up and punched the top of the radio, shutting it off. He looked blearily at the time…9:00, he was 45 minutes late for school then.

He rubbed his head hard with his knuckles. Then he shuffled out of his room, slouching into the kitchen where he grabbed an energy drink out of the fridge. He sat on the couch, waiting for the highly sugared and extremely caffeinated drink to run through his system and wake him up enough to effectively prepare for the day.

He looked at his hands. They had streaks of rust-colored blood dried on them from the previous night. He threw the now-empty energy drink can into a corner and went down the hall into the bathroom. Looking in the mirror, he realized that he looked terrible. His eyes were tired and dull, and he had dark rings under them. His hair was disheveled and hung in hideous snarls down the length of his back. His hands, under the dried blood, were sliced open on each palm, and three of his fingers as well.

He washed the blood off his hands and brushed out his tangled mess of hair. All the time, his thoughts were on the other, the Koe. 'Bakura'. He could still sense the entity in his mind, and the Ring, where it hung on his chest, was slightly warm. He fingered it again, wondering for what must have been the hundredth time what it was about it, and the others, that made them so special. There was more to this 'purpose' then his Koe was telling him.

He changed quickly, pulling on another black shirt, some dark blue jeans, and a pair of black gloves with the fingers cut off to hide the gashes on his palms. Then he strode out of his apartment, locking the door behind him, and went out to where his black motorcycle stood. He started it, smiling as it roared to life, and pulled out of the subterranean garage.

Traffic was light, allowing Ryou to accelerate, which was good seeing as how he was now an hour late to school. Oh well, the worst he could get was a tardy, or detention. Neither of which bothered him even minimally. He zoomed past the large buildings of Domino, reveling in the sun on his skin. This day was much nicer in comparison to the previous. The sun was out, and the sky was mostly clear with just the lightest covering of charcoal grey clouds.

Finally, he pulled into the school parking lot, parking in an empty space nearest to the school. He shouldered his bag, realizing that he had forgotten his math textbook, then brushed the thought away carelessly. As he entered the school, he got dirty looks from the two old women in the front office. They glanced at him warily and one said something that he couldn't hear. He received another from Soniran as he joined class. Still having no access to a school uniform, he stuck out like a sore thumb in the sea of blue-clad 10th and 11th graders that made up Soniran's 1st period. He noticed Joey glaring at him and the black-haired student from the other day, whose name he'd learned to be Duke Devlin, watching him appreciatively. As if his tardiness was something to be proud of…

He once again sat in the seat by the window, to the left of Tea, and behind the boy with the superior attitude whom he'd learned was Seto Kaiba, a big CEO for the gaming company, Kaiba Corp. Tea was being sure to look anywhere but at him and he smiled slightly. He shifted and saw that Yugi was watching him again, and the smile blew off his face to be replaced by a curious frown. Something glimmered on Yugi's chest and Ryou moved unconsciously, leaning forward. A switch clicked in Ryou's mind as he took in the worn chord, attached to the upside-down pyramid, and in the center…the Eye of Horus.

_So that's one of them…_ He thought to himself, knowing immediately the pyramid for what it was. Tea's little friend Yugi had a, what had the Koe called them…a Millennium Item. Ryou smiled again, knowing that his day had just gotten ten times more interesting. He tapped his fingers restlessly, waiting anxiously for class to end. The sooner he got all the bloody items for the Koe, the sooner he'd leave. Already, Ryou's awareness of him in his mind was becoming a hassle. It was like having half of his mind preoccupied with something else and made concentrating on any one thing at any one time extremely difficult.

Finally the bell for 1st period ended and Ryou strode casually over to where Yugi was talking to his friends, Joey Wheeler and Tristan Taylor. Ryou was beginning to wonder if these two teens weren't just Yugi's personal guards. They went with him almost everywhere, rarely leaving his side, and always being annoying.

"Yugi-kun," Ryou interrupted, attaching a friendly term onto the end of Yugi's name, his dark eyes were fixed on the shorter teen. The pyramid hanging on his chest sparkled tantalizingly and Ryou noticed tiny grooves and engravings on it...almost like a puzzle. Yugi looked up cautiously, realizing who had spoken. "May I speak with you?.." Ryou asked and he glanced at the blonde and brunette at his sides, "Alone, if that's alright with your…friends."

"Umm…Sure Bakura-san. That's fine." Yugi replied, but his voice was very _un_sure. Tristan glared at Bakura, daring him to try anything, and Joey said,

"Ok. Come on Tristan…let's hit Computer Tech. Catch up with us later, Yug."

Ryou led Yugi out of the class and said slyly, "I was noticing your pendant earlier…an interesting choice in accessories, Yugi."

Yugi nodded, holding it up carefully. "It's my most prized possession. It's a puzzle from my Grandfather. I just solved it recently."

"My…friend, was telling me about some artifacts similar to yours. Would you mind if I looked at it?" Ryou held out his hand and Yugi stopped in the hall. He lifted the chord from around his neck hesitantly, as if afraid to let it go. But then he placed the heavy pyramid in Ryou's hand. He smirked slightly examining the Eye in the center.

"Thank you, Yugi-kun. You'll have made my friend quite happy, I think." Ryou said. Yugi opened his mouth questioningly but Ryou punched him in the jaw before he could get the words out of his mouth. He fell to the ground, unconscious. Ryou looked around the deserted hallway and then quickly made his way towards the school entrance.

He ignored the women in the front office who called out as he exited. Then he sprinted to his bike and left the school far behind. The Millennium Puzzle dangled from his neck alongside the Ring. Then he directed a thought at the entity in his mind.

'_Koe, I've got something you've been looking for.' _

kK. Review, Or you'll never see how Bakura reacts to Ryou's accomplishment! (btw, it probably won't be how you're thinking. Or maybe it will...I don't know what you're thinking, so I wouldn't know! Now I'm confused.)

5 Reviews is what I'm asking, but I'll deal with 3 if you'd be so kind!

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	4. Chapter 4: The Items

Alright, pretty fast update if I do say so myself! Um...hope you guys like it! And, the mini key is the same as ch 2. SO...yeah! If you can't remember, the flashbacks are in all italics (there's one in this chapter.) Read on...oops,

disclaimer: Unless you're three years old, you _know_ that I didn't make YGO...so why am I writing this disclaimer again?

River Fox: I try to make my descriptions good. It's to give you a better idea of what I'm talking about, anways. Glad you like my style!...Stalking me! SCARY (Just kidding! I'll finish my stories eventually (even if it takes 5 years!), if only for you. You're really one of my most loyal reviewers. You haven't missed a story yet...give yourself a cyber cookie . I'm having a really hard time with my RyouxOC as well as Return With Vengeance...but I'll work on them with you in mind! I'll check out that RyouxOC you recommended as well. Thanks for being an awesome reviewer!

And to all my other reviewers...THANK YOU SOOO MUCH! IT's SERIOUSLY APPRECIATED!

* * *

"Baka! Foolish Idiot! Stupid, Dimwitted _Imbecile_!"

The Koe's hand snapped out, backhanding Ryou across the face with enough force to jerk him backwards against a wall. A lamp beside him tipped, crashing to the floor loudly. His face burned and blood oozed down his freshly cut lip.

"I told you to _tell _me when you found an item! Not jump to the conclusion that you should go ahead and TAKE it! You moronic dolt…You might've ruined _everything!_"

"Well maybe if you had told me what it was you were trying to do!" Ryou retaliated, standing up and taking a few steps towards the other. He'd sluffed school, ruined all trust of someone who had the favor of the school's teachers and administration, and the trust of all the twerp's stupid friends. And he'd gotten yet _another_ detention for leaving in the middle of the day…and for what? So he could be lectured and yelled at by this 'Spirit' who had asked for _his_ help? And when all he'd even done was something that the Koe had ASKED him to do in the first place!

"No, Yadonushi…" The other objected, having read his thoughts. "I told you to _tell _me. So I could take care of it! But instead, you had to do things yourself! This is _your_ fault, Host…" the other turned. His face was twisted with rage and his eyes burned brightly. Ryou took another step towards him and hit his shoulder so he was spun to look at him.

"You didn't explain _anything_ to me, Koe. You didn't tell me what I was supposed to do! How was I supposed to know? You told me to look for Items, and when I found one and _brought_ it to you, all you do is abuse me for it! _Why_ is this such a problem?!"

The other punched Ryou's jaw in much the same way Ryou had punched Yugi. His head snapped to the side, and his neck ached. Then the other grabbed Ryou by his shirt, pulling him forward and up so their faces were mere inches apart.

The other's voice was deathly soft as he said, "The problem, Yadonushi, is that you have to _earn it._ You have to earn the right to use any Millennium Item. And you didn't earn the Puzzle."

Ryou kept his gaze locked with the other, glaring at him defiantly. "And how, Koe, am I to supposed to _earn _the right to use it?"

The other gave him a grin that bared dagger sharp canines, "You must play a Yami no Game, Host. A Shadow Game. Something you aren't capable of, which is why you must tell me, and not try to handle things yourself."

Ryou gave an exasperated sigh, trying to suppress his anger, and avoid more physical abuse from the other. He could feel the bruise that would be on his jaw by morning, as well as the one on his opposite cheek. "Let me down."

The other obliged, dropping him, but not before giving him a rough jerk. Ryou moved to the couch, where he plopped down, resting his feet on the coffee table.

"So…what do we do about it then?" Ryou asked. He picked up the puzzle from where it sat on the table. He looked at it, waiting for the Koe's answer, and spun it around, flipping it in his hands. Suddenly he threw the puzzle at the other, who's hand reached out and snatched it out of the air. "Huh? What do we do?" He asked again, impatiently.

The other threw it back at him, and Ryou caught it and began spinning it again.

"We need to get this Yugi Muto to play a little Shadow Game with us. It's simple…all we need to-"

"What kind of game are we talking about?" The other rolled his eyes.

Then he snapped, "Don't interrupt me. It can be a game of wits, of the mind, a game of physical strength…a game of time, or a card game. It doesn't _really_ matter, as long as Shadow Magic is involved. Whoever is more powerful, and has more control over their Shadow Powers wins the Yami no Game."

"You do know that all this Shadow Magic sounds like a cheesy horror movie."

The other smiled, glancing in Ryou's direction. "Don't mock it, Host. You don't want to end up in the Shadow Realm…it's not a nice place. As I was saying…All we need to do is force Yugi to play the game. He told you that the Puzzle was his most valuable possession?"

"Yes…but I don't think he'll trust me enough to play a _game_ with me."

The Koe was thoughtful for a moment, his gaze resting on the puzzle. He held out his hand for it and Ryou tossed it through the air to him. "This Puzzle means more to that mortal brat then you know. Especially if _he_'s taken up residence in it…"

Ryou snorted and stood up. "Would you talk straight for once? Who's taken residence in it? Another 'Spirit'? Someone like you?" He shook his head in disbelief "…Do all of these items have Spirits living in them?"

"No, only yours and his. And yes, it's another spirit. He's a Pharaoh, Yadonushi. From the same time period as me."

"So…then you're Egyptian? And this other spirit is the spirit of an Ancient Pharaoh? What were you, a Priest?"

The other smirked, laughing at Ryou's ignorance. "A Tomb Thief, my Yadonushi."

"Figures. Were you any good?" Ryou folded his arms across his chest and looked at the Koe cynically. Then he went into the kitchen to grab a soda.

From the living room the other called, "I was the best, Host. I still am."

Ryou assumed this to be the reason the spirit was so determined to steal the seven golden items. Being a thief of such _status_, it would be difficult to die knowing you hadn't accomplished your goal. So difficult that he had overstepped the bounds of death, though? Ryou believed there was still more to the whole thing then his Koe was telling him.

But rather then dwell on that, he said, "Why don't you use my name? You keep calling me Host, or Yadonushi. You _do_ know that I have a name, right?…And as soon as you get all your Items, you'll be leaving. So, I'm not your Host."

The other entered the kitchen and retorted in a ridiculing, yet curious manner, "Why do you not use _my_ name? But rather, you call me Koe…or think of me as your Other. I have a name as well, Ryou…and you're mistaken. I'm not planning on leaving. You _are_ my Host."

Ryou's grip tightened around the aluminum soda can. "So then, _Bakura_, why am I even helping you, if you aren't planning on leaving once I've achieved my end of the deal?"

"Because, as I said yesterday, it wouldn't matter. I don't need your consent for anything, baka. It's just for your sake that you give it."

"What am I even getting out of this?" Ryou leaned on the counter and 'Bakura' walked around him, eyes locked analytically on his face, and leaned against the opposite wall.

"Should you get something?" Ryou remained silent, looking coldly at the floor. "What is it that you have in mind? What do you _want _to get out of it?"

A few more silent minutes passed before Ryou said quietly, "…Nothing. I don't need anything from you, Koe. You couldn't give me…" He sighed, and then looked at the other angrily, "It doesn't matter."

"Then you and I should get along well, Yadonushi."

Ryou gave Bakura a last glance before he stalked off to his room, in a considerably worse mood for no apparent reason. Bakura heard a slam and smiled. His new Host was entertaining, if nothing else.

In his Room, Ryou sat on his bed. He threw a rubber ball at the wall. It bounced back to him with a dull _thud. _He looked at the clock, 11:45. He sighed, rubbing his jaw where the other had punched him. The pain brought back memories from his life in England…

_A twelve-year-old child with white hair sat in the shadow of an alley. His knees were pulled up to his chest, and his forehead rest on them forlornly. A car passed, spraying muddy water out of the gutter and onto the boy. He scooted farther back into the alleyway, hiding himself from the world. His eyes gazed dully at the ground._

"_Look what we have here, Ed. A little lost mongrel." Said an older teen with dark blonde hair, approaching the child from deeper in the alley. He had a slightly Irish accent. "A scraggly little thing too." He bent down, yanking on the boy's hair hard. He flinched away, but otherwise ignored him. The teen beside the first, Ed, had black hair, spiked up in twenty different directions. _

_His lip was pierced and he laughed before he suggested, "We should see if the mutt does tricks." _

_The first teen picked up a stick and walked up to the boy, who looked up at him with a questioning expression. _

_Ed whistled, and then taunted, "What d'ya say, pup? Do you want to play a little fetch with Jackie here?" _

_The white-haired boy stood up, turning to exit the alley. 'Jackie', the blonde with the stick, tripped him with his shoe, laughing when he fell to his hands and knees. Then he poked him twice with the stick sharply in the side. The boy stood back up, rubbing his ribs and brushing the dirt off his jeans, which had ripped on the knees. Then he once again turned to leave, head down. _

"_Wow, there…where're you off to in such a hurry? We just want to play with you." Ed grabbed the boy's wrist, dragging him forcefully back to where the two teens stood. Then he saw the scar on his arm and said, "What happened, little mongrel? Get in a cat fight? Hey Jack, look's like this kid must be a troublemaker." He pushed him so that he hit the wall. The boy looked up at them, his eyes angry._

"_So this is what you do for fun? Pick on kids half your size?" The boy accused. Jack swung the stick around and hit the back of the boy's knees, and then on his shoulder._

"_Look's like this mutt needs to be trained." He laughed. "First lesson, don't snap at your superiors…" Then he swung the stick again to hit him. His laugh died in his throat when the child caught the stick mid-swing. His face was calm as he wrenched it from the surprised teen's grip. _

_Jack and Ed exchanged a glance before Ed recovered. He made a grab for the stick, but missed. The boy used the same technique as the teens, swinging the stick 180 degrees until it _thwacked_ against the dark-haired teen's head. Jack moved quickly, punching the boy in the stomach. He dropped the stick and staggered, trying to catch his breath. _

_Before Jack or Ed could attack him again though, he picked up a broken bottle and threw it at Jack. It spun threw the hair, hitting Jack's leg and slicing the fabric. The teen cried out and held his leg, which had begun to bleed. He looked at his fallen friend. Ed was just standing up, his eyes slightly unfocused. _

_He motioned to his companion, "Let's go Jack…leave this insane little twerp to get taken to the orphanage." Then the two ran off, Jack glancing back at the dirty child. The boy rubbed his arm where a purple bruise was just beginning to form over the scars. Then he walked out onto the sidewalk, heading for his apartment and thinking up a story to tell his father about how he'd tripped while walking…_

Ryou sighed again, letting the rubber ball drop to the floor. He unconsciously rubbed his scarred arm, tracing the fine white lines with his finger. His mind wandered, random memories coming and going. When he looked at the clock again it said 3:30. His eyes widened, he hadn't realized he'd been in his room for so long. He left, going back into the living room.

His house was a disaster…it looked like a tornado had blown threw it. Throw pillow were scattered on the floor. The lamp was on its side, and the bulb had shattered. Various soda and energy drink cans littered the living room and kitchen. The coffee table had magazines, papers, schoolwork, and other paperwork hiding its surface.

In the kitchen, food sat on the counter and dishes were undone in the sink. The fridge was virtually empty of any edible food.

Ryou sighed, he wasn't the cleanest person, but he wasn't a total slob either. He began cleaning up, turning on the radio to break the silence. The Koe was nowhere to be found, and Ryou assumed he had gone into the Ring like he had the day before. While clearing off the table, he came across the Millennium Puzzle, sitting where the other had supposedly put it.

He held it in one hand, then took off the ring and held it up beside the Puzzle. He directed a thought at the other.

'_Koe, what are the other items?' _There was silence on the other side of their link, but after what seemed like forever to Ryou, the Spirit said,

'_The Millennium Eye, Millennium Ankh, Millennium Rod, Millennium Scale, Millennium Necklace, and then the Millennium Ring and Puzzle.' _

Ryou placed both items on the counter. The rest of the seven items could be anywhere…anywhere in the entire world. It had been chance, sheer luck, that had brought him to the _exact_ place as another item, but he doubted he'd be so lucky again. Did the Koe expect him to travel randomly around the world to find them? Ryou shook his head, this was turning out to be an impossible task.

Not only were they spread throughout the world…but you had to play a Shadow Game to even use the things. And that brought up another point. The Koe had said to _use_ them, you had to play a Shadow Game. But how did one _use_ a chunk of metal? Ryou still wasn't sure he even believed in the concept of Shadow Magic…how had his life become so screwed up?

But Ryou knew the answer without even thinking about it. It had become screwed up when the gang had set his home on fire. Ryou pushed the memories away…he didn't want to think about that. Not now, or ever again. He frowned, and threw the soda cans he was holding into the garbage bin. Then he proceeded to the living room, tidying as much as was necessary to make his apartment not completely disgusting.

He sat down on the couch, feeling a headache coming on. He hadn't been sitting down for even ten minutes though, when the Koe interrupted him.

'_Enjoying your little rest, Yadonushi?' _

Ryou tried to make his thought irritated, '_I was…' _

'_Well, I think you've moped around here long enough. We need to get your little friend to play a game with us, remember?'_

'_Koe, First, he's not my friend. And second, Yugi won't do it. He probably doesn't even know about the Pharaoh, or whatever, that's living in his puzzle. He said he just solved it recently.'_

'_Have a little more faith, Ryou. If you do as I say, then he'll play the game, I'll _win_ the game, and then we can move on to the next item. But none of that will happen if we're sitting around here. And if you don't make it happen in the next few minutes, then you're going to learn something else about what I can do…and I doubt you'll like it very much.'_

Ryou tensed, unnerved by the other's words. His Koe didn't seem to be in the habit of bluffing…So he stood. Going into the kitchen he grabbed both the Puzzle and the Ring, slipping the chords over his head. The weight of the Ring felt familiar now, but the added weight of the Puzzle made his neck, still sore from that morning, ache a bit. He then grabbed his motorbike's keys and the house key before exiting. As he stood in the elevator, the other abruptly appeared beside him. Ryou barely glanced at him.

"So, what do I say?"

The other looked at him smugly, something glimmering in his eyes that Ryou couldn't define. Ryou hadn't yet figured out how to read his Koe's thoughts, though he had the ability to read his, and did. So he had no idea what the other might be thinking.

Finally he answered, "Just let me handle it when it gets to that point."

Ryou glared at him, his bad mood returning. "And how do you plan on-"

Bakura silenced him with a dark look. His mind was already on the unique Shadow Game he would play with the mortal who had current power over the magic of the Millennium Puzzle. There was, of course, the problem of how to convince his stubborn Host that Bakura taking over his body was the only choice. It was a necessity, but Bakura knew Ryou wouldn't approve of the idea…Not that it mattered. There were other ways to convince these foolish mortals who were subject to so many simple things like _pain._ Physical and Emotional torture were the surest ways to get what you wanted. And it was about time his Yadonushi became associated with the idea of a Soul Room, because he'd be spending a lot more of his time in there as _Bakura's_ time with _him_ went on.

As Ryou sped towards downtown his thoughts kept slipping back to the many unanswered mysteries surrounding 'Bakura'. How had this spirit come to be inside the Ring? And how did he know this Pharaoh from the Puzzle? Why were these Items so important? All the questions made his head spin. Only yesterday he'd gone to his first day of School in this town. In fact he'd only moved to Domino a week ago…and already his life was taking another twist for the worse.

Finally he pulled up in front of the Kame Game Shop. Some boys in P.E. had told him that Yugi lived here with his grandfather, who owned the shop. He walked in the door, which had a small bell attached to it. Ryou held the bell so that it was silent as the door opened and then as it closed. A thought occurred to him…

'_Koe, this won't work. I punched him…he'll just tell me to get out.' _

'_You don't know anything. Just let me handle this…' _

Ryou felt an odd sensation. It wasn't painful, but it was at the same time extremely uncomfortable. It felt like something inside him had become unattached. Like his very being had become separated from his body. His hand moved, lifting before his eyes and flexing. He felt a thrill of excitement that didn't belong to him.

'_Koe, what are you-' _But now even his thoughts were cut off. Suddenly he had no control of his body. It was like he was watching himself from the side…like a dream where you were aware of your surroundings had no ability to change what you were doing. He watched as his own face changed slightly…his features becoming more angular and his hair becoming a little more unruly. His eyes closed, and when they opened they were no longer brown but red.

Understanding came to him immediately…Bakura had taken over his body. He had no idea how…or even why really. But he had, and it infuriated him. Ryou could almost feel himself growing hot with agitated anger. But he couldn't communicate with his other. Bakura's voice entered his mind smugly.

'_I told you to let me handle this host…sit back and watch the show.' _

Just then Yugi walked down the stairs.

"Grandpa? I think we have a…" He stopped, and his face paled slightly.

"Hello Yugi…" Bakura's voice was different from Ryou's…it was so obvious to Ryou, but Yugi didn't even seem to notice, though his eyes narrowed slightly.

"Bakura…you should leave. Now."

Bakura sniffed indifferently, holding a hand up. "I was actually just coming to tell you that I want to give you an…opportunity to get your Puzzle back." Bakura pulled the Puzzle off his neck and held it out to Yugi who gasped in surprise.

"Bakura! That isn't yours…give it back!" The shorter teen clenched his fists and there was something close to fear in his eyes, and Ryou couldn't help but snicker, even if he was still angry with Bakura.

"I'll give it back…if you agree to play a Shadow Game with me. If you win…then you'll get the Puzzle."

"Why should I play any game with you, Bakura? That Puzzle is already mine."

"Yes, but I don't see how you're going to get it from me unless you agree to play my game. Really, it won't take long…just meet me in Domino Central tomorrow. We'll play our game then."

Bakura, in Ryou's body, exited the shop. Yugi looked flustered, but nodded numbly.

'_Well, Yadonushi? Are you ready to see a Shadow Game?' _Bakura laughed out loud coldly as he hopped on Ryou's bike.

And Ryou was powerless to answer as they sped back towards his apartment.

* * *

Here you go. How's Ryou going to deal with discovering Bakura can take over his body? Will Yugi actually show up for their Shadow Game? Am I sounding like a cheap cartoon yet? Well...give me five reviews and I'll start brainstorming chapter four! And then you'll have the answer to all these questions.

BTW, I have a new story Captive Soul. Check it out! (please!) Hope you're all enjoying my work...I write this stuff for you, so you'd better appreciate it!


	5. Chapter 5: To Play a Shadow Game

Do you all love it when I update? You better (especially since this chapter is FOREVER long!) Ok...um, do you need any reminders? '_this is host to yami etc.' _And...yeah. When it's in Yugi's third person whatever down at the bottom, you should keep in mind, he refer's to **Ryou** as Bakura. He doesn't _know_ that Y. Bakura is in control of Ryou's body.

Do you _really_ need a disclaimer? ok, fine: I don't own YGO, or the Characters Ryou, Bakura, and Yugi (**Bakura: Thank goodness for that**) HEY! WAS THAT NECESSARY!? Alright...read on good readers. read on. AND REVIEW! (pretty please? bats eyelashes)

* * *

Ryou paced invisibly around his apartment. He was seething…his fists, or the movement that would have been his fists had his body not been robbed from him, clenched convulsively. He glared at the still form on his couch, never letting his watchful eyes leave him. For the past hour, he'd been trying to speak to the other. The other who was sitting so calmly in _his _body.

He didn't even know how this was possible. Is this what Bakura had meant when he'd told him there were things he could do that Ryou wouldn't like? Well, if it was then he'd been correct. Ryou wasn't just irritated. He was furious. He wanted to lash out at the other. Wanted to use against him the pain that had forced Ryou into submission the night he'd arrived.

Two days ago…could it have really only been two days? It seemed so much longer then that. By the way the other was so completely comfortable, so totally confident and in control, you would have thought it had been weeks. It felt like weeks…Ryou hadn't known him for over forty-eight hours and yet he was already sick of him. He wanted him gone. Out of his house. Out of his mind. Out of his life.

But he was unable to even speak, let alone force the spirit to leave. He couldn't _actually_ move around. He couldn't hurt the other like he wanted to. He wasn't positive, but he thought that it was like his mind had been detached from his body. Or perhaps it was his soul. Ryou wasn't sure if he believed that a Soul was a separate and individual piece of the body that could just be ripped away. And yet now he was just here, connected by some thread that kept him from drifting away completely.

He wondered if the other could see him, or sense him. Did he know that he was still here, in this room, watching him? Ryou assumed so, since he had been speaking to him, or maybe to himself, earlier about the Shadow Game. It seemed Bakura wasn't sure what type of game to play. He was having difficulties coming to a final decision by the sound of his thoughts.

Ryou had finally figured out how to at least sense the other. He could feel the emotions and a select few thoughts coming from his other's mind. It was in this way that he could tell that Bakura was having some trouble finding the 'perfect' yami no game. He was almost sure that the koe wasn't aware of his discovery of the crack in his mental defenses, or he would have remedied the problem. But for now, Ryou was going to use it to his every advantage. He'd also worked on building his own mental barriers, attempting to lock the other out of his mind completely.

Ryou was _not_ one to be used. He wouldn't be discarded like yesterday's trash…

Unless the spirit gave Ryou a very good explanation for his taking over and gave him more incentive to continue helping, Ryou was determined to find a way to undermine his control. His mind was racing. He was pushing on the mental chains, trying to get around whatever force was holding him back from taking back his body.

Every once in a while, Ryou would try speaking again. He didn't have a mouth, or vocal chords, or anything that would allow him to speak, but he was thinking the thoughts. By trying to focus specific thoughts on Bakura, and then by directing them towards where he could feel the other's mental presence, Ryou guessed that he could get the message through their mind link. Even if it meant he forced the thoughts through, which he was sure would cause at least a minor headache; he was going to make it happen. He was sure that if he gathered the strength and pushed hard enough the intent, at least, would get across.

Simultaneously, Ryou was thinking of ways to weasel out of helping the Spirit. Tired of being involved in his pathetic plots was the mildest of ways to put it.

…And yet, the other had been truthful so far. He hadn't lied, even if he hadn't given him the whole plan. The Koe hadn't told him about taking over his body, but he had told him that he would 'take care of it'. Ryou had assumed that he meant…_something_ else, although what he had no clue. Perhaps he would continue to give his aid to the Ring Spirit, but Ryou would have words to say about his methods.

That was assuming he _ever_ got control back! He 'walked' around the couch so that he was 'standing' behind Bakura. He leaned forward so that he could see what he was holding in his hands.

Despite the fact that he didn't have a body, he could feel his long hair shift fluidly over his neck as he leaned forward. That, in and of itself, didn't make sense, but no sense thinking over that now. There were much more pressing matters on his mind…like having a sadistic spirit controlling his body. He focused back on seeing what his other was up to.

Bakura was holding a deck of cards. He was shuffling them mechanically, and as he did Ryou saw that they weren't face cards. They were Duel Monsters cards…Ryou vaguely remembered that his father had gotten him a very large amount of them back in England. It had been another one of his incompetent father's failed attempts at changing him, comforting him perhaps.

After the fire, Ryou's father had taken a small break from his archeological expeditions. It had taken him a week to get to England from a site in America because of flight complications. He'd spent barely two months with his son though, before he'd gone back. He'd, of course, visited every other month, taking as much time off as his job would allow. But his interference in his son's life had only worsened the situation, if nothing else.

Ryou had gotten his first tattoo when he was thirteen. That was when his father had bought him the cards. If Ryou remembered correctly, he hadn't even thanked his father. In fact, he'd yelled at him for trying to interfere with his life. Yet he continued to buy his son expensive gifts to try and prove he cared even though he was never around. All in vain.

Even now, Ryou questioned why his father continued to spoil his only son when it had the opposite affect of the one Ryou was sure he desired. The gifts were becoming a hassle anyways. His latest gift had given him nothing but a pain in the neck.

The spirit was flipping through the cards now, glancing at each individually. He had apparently tracked down Ryou's stash of Duel Monster's cards. He hadn't touched them in years, since his father had first given them to him. He'd practically forgotten he even owned them. But the other had found them and had seemingly made a deck. That didn't make sense to Ryou though. What would a spirit need with a child's card game? If, as he claimed, he had been raised in Egypt, he wouldn't even know what the cards or their purpose even _were_.

Another mystery to add to the piling stash of unanswered questions, right alongside why the spirit wanted the Millennium Items, _how_ he could use them, how they worked _at all_, and what he intended to use them _for. _Ryou's mind struggled to understand the vague meanings and intents behind the spirit's cold eyes and harsh words. But he didn't have enough information to unravel the puzzles surrounding the whole bloody situation.

Ryou felt a jerk. It wasn't dissimilar to the gentle but insistent tug he'd felt when being pulled away from his body, and he mentally shied away from it. But it pulled harder. His senses gave him the illusion of being plunged forward into his body. He instinctively closed his eyes against it…

When he cracked his eyes open moments later, he was looking up from a position on the couch. His arms felt tired and as though they had lead lining them. He lifted one, bending each finger separately. Realizing what had just occurred, he jumped up. He glanced around frantically for the spirit. Moments later he was forced to sit again as his legs were tired and didn't want to support him.

Although he'd only stood, he felt as though he was physically exhausted.

A thought entered his mind; unbidden and still unperturbed by the mental barriers he'd placed, although it did seem to come hesitantly, as though it had had a harder time getting to him.

'_Aren't you glad? You have your body back…I'd be grateful, if I were you.'_

Ryou's temper flared. '_Grateful? Why in heaven's name would I be grateful to you? What did you do to my body…I feel exhausted.' _

'_I didn't do anything to it fool. You've been watching me like a vulture since I took over, you should know that. It's your natural resistance to being bound back in your skin and bones.' _The spirit sounded irritated.

Ryou answered, his thought questioning and equally irritated. '_Explain what you mean.'_

'_What I mean,' _he seemed exasperated '_is that you have been drifting in a spirit form. You were nothing more then a consciousness. Now, having been put back in your body by me, you're mental strength is resisting to being _held down_ by a body. In terms you could understand, your body isn't tired, your mind is.' _

Ryou stood again, panting from the exertion. He trailed his hand along the wall, but managed to stand straight. He walked, stumbling slightly, down the hall until he reached his room. He nudged the door open, tripping over a pair of shoes as he entered, and then finally collapsed onto his bed.

As he laid there, his anger against the spirit rekindled. But he was tactful, and rather then come out with the subject of his body being snatched, he asked, '_So have you come up with a creative yami no game yet?' _

He felt tensed frustration rise from the other._ 'If you must know, I'm having a difficult time deciding upon the…_proper_ Shadow Game to play.'_

'_What are you thinking? Before, you were telling me all the different types of games…which one are you best at.'_

The spirit smirked, _'I'm excellent at all of them. I didn't ask your opinion anyways.'_

'_I thought we were partners…_'Ryou accused, letting the anger he felt drip over his words _'I'm helping you get what you want, I should get to help you plan.' _

'_You'll help when I require your assistance, and you'll remember that I don't need you, only the body you inhabit.' _

Ryou let his next thoughts come out in a wave of annoyed aggravation. _'Exactly. If I'm going to continue helping you, you can't just… take over like that. I'm not just a tool for you to use and then toss away when you're done with me.'_

The spirit's own thoughts were threatening and sent an involuntary shiver down Ryou's spine. _'Host, you are sorely mistaken about our so-called 'partnership'. You do not control what I do, you can't. You aren't nearly strong enough to try and consider holding me back…I, on the other hand, have every advantage. And whether you're willing to admit it or not, your life belongs to me. I've warned you before, and I tire of your outspokenness…You _are_ helping me, willingly or not. I'm using your body, when and where I choose, and there's nothing you can do for it…but if it will make you feel better, I can begin blanking your memory.'_

Ryou's sped up, adrenaline rushing through his weary body as fear crept into his heart. It was as if he had just finally realized exactly what the spirit was capable of. He sat up, swinging his legs over the side of his bed and resting his head in his hands. His white hair was slightly ruffled and he pushed it over his shoulder so it wasn't in his face.

'_What do you mean, blank my memory?' _He asked warily, but continually defiant. His personality wouldn't allow him to back down and submit to this spirit's tactics of striking fear into him and pulling threats, no matter how real the danger was.

'_Whenever I take over your body, I'll somewhat paralyze your conscious and subconscious mind. You won't remember a thing of what I do and it will be like I don't even exist…'_

That sounded tempting to Ryou, but the spirit wasn't finished.

'…_except for you may end up in…unsavory places when I retreat. I'll be doing whatever I find necessary, and you'll have no idea what's going on or where you've been or what you've been doing. You'll only know that the voice in your mind has something to do with your 'interesting experiences'.' _The spirit chuckled darkly.

Ryou rubbed his knuckles into his forehead. "And you're not going to leave. You can't find someone else to help you with this…quest, or whatever, of yours?" He said quietly.

The spirit appeared, leaning against the wall beside his bed, a few feet away from where Ryou sat. "No, you're the one who shall help me. I don't believe in coincidence, Host. It wasn't coincidence that brought your father to find the Millennium Ring, nor was it coincidence that led him to give it to you. And it wasn't coincidence that Yugi had the Puzzle. It wasn't coincidence that brought you to live in Domino…Life is predetermined, and you can't change what will happen. It's your destiny to have the Millennium Ring. Ryou, even if you don't want to admit it, you and I are very similar and us being brought together was nothing close to mere _coincidence._"

Ryou looked up, and he couldn't help but smile sarcastically. "Destiny?"

Bakura frowned. "Yes, destiny. You're _meant_ to help me…it's your choice what the circumstances of that help are."

"This all sounds so…_fake._ None of this should even be possible. You shouldn't be here, and you shouldn't be able to take over my body. Metal items shouldn't harbor magic, and there shouldn't be completely separate dimensions that no one has even heard about! How is all of this real when nobody has ever even heard of any of it?"

"You mortals are pathetic." Ryou raised an eyebrow skeptically so Bakura continued. "Archeologists see the signs…the proof of magic used in the past. But almost none of them accept it. They aren't willing to accept an idea so unrealistic and 'foolish. The select few who do are ridiculed. Yugi Muto's grandfather is one of those few, Yadonushi. He knew about the games, shadow games, which were played in Ancient Egypt. If the human race would open it's eyes and see the meaning behind the pictures and glyphs painted on the tomb walls and temples…then maybe all these things _wouldn't_ be a secret." He shrugged. "In either case, it's probably better for me, and indirectly you, that the humans can't find the truth. It's better these things remain hidden."

"Why do you say the 'human race'? Aren't you human? Or…you were." Ryou stood, moving from his bed to his desk and sitting the wrong way on the chair so that his chin rested on the back. His eyes once again followed Bakura's every move, trying not to miss anything.

"I _was_ human. But humans are mortal. I am not…if I were, I wouldn't _be_ here right now."

"How did you die?"

"Only my body died. My spirit, obviously, still remains here. In my opinion, that means that I didn't _die._ You ask a lot of questions. Now let me ask you one: Why are you alone?"

Silence.

Then Ryou answered, but it was hesitant and uncharacteristically cautious. "I'm not alone…my father is living in the motel just down the street until he goes back to Egypt."

The spirit smiled, recognizing that he'd hit a weak spot on his host's hard exterior. On the outside he was harsh, course, and rebellious. But on the inside, he was still a child.

"That isn't what I meant…I mean why are you _alone._ Humans don't usually live alone, especially young humans such as you. They have families. I was human once…I know how a family works."

Ryou sighed, and for a moment it seemed he would answer. But his eyes flashed suddenly and he said, "Go away."

The spirit was taken off guard. "Baka, I told you that-"

"No, that's not what I meant. Get out of my room. Just leave me alone for a while…"

The spirit laughed. "Oh, I see…something happened to them. And you don't want to talk about it." Ryou glared at him. "Alright, Host. But we _will_ talk about this again sometime. I'm curious to know what happened that's caused you to hurt so much inside."

"I'm not hurt."

"Yes, well, whatever you say…" With that, Bakura faded, leaving no trace that he'd ever been there.

* * *

Yugi paced in tight circles around Central Domino. He was close enough to the Game Shop that he could just see its roof over the trees. He was sorely tempted to just go back into the comfort of his home…He was scared of Bakura. How could he have trusted him like that? Trusted him with his most valuable possession. Joey had been right all along, and Yugi had ignored him, thinking that he could be Bakura-san's friend.

And yesterday…when Bakura had come into the shop to present his offer, he'd seemed different. Even _more_ intense, and he'd had a certain feeling surrounding him. Not to mention his dark sense of humor. Like he was always laughing at a joke no one else had been told. He was intimidating, to say the least.

Yes, Yugi was terrified to be here alone, waiting for the silver-haired teen. It was late evening and Yugi had been pacing for the good part of an hour. Very few people were in the main square, and the thought to go home kept coming to his mind. But how could he? He couldn't just abandon the Puzzle like that! His Partner needed him…and he had to help, had to _try._ Even if it meant playing a game with Bakura. Yugi had always been good at games. Perhaps it would be easy.

But somehow Yugi doubted it.

"Ah, Yugi. I'm glad you came…I feared that you might not show."

Yugi pivoted to face the voice's owner. Bakura stood, arms folded across his chest self-importantly. He wore a black and white striped shirt that reminded Yugi of prisoner's clothing. Over it he wore a long, black trench coat. The collar was flipped up, and his hair tumbled down his back wildly. He had a distinctive, confident air and was looking at him disdainfully. Like he wasn't even worth the time Bakura was putting in for him.

Around his neck were the Millennium Ring…and his Puzzle.

Yugi's eyes locked on his golden pendant. "Uh, you said we're playing a game…What kind of game did you have in mind? And what are the terms."

Bakura smiled, "It isn't a hard game. In fact, it's so simple it will take us no more then a few minutes to play." His smile deepened. "The winner takes all, Yugi."

Yugi frowned, rubbing his arm. "What do you mean, 'all'?"

"Is it really that difficult to understand, or are you just extremely slow?" Bakura removed the two items dangling from the chords around his neck and dropped them to the concrete below his feet. "If you win, you get your item back, and you get to keep mine. If I win, I gain your item, as well as keep my own…oh, and one more thing. The loser's Soul will be trapped in the Shadow Realm, Yugi. So you wouldn't want to lose this game." He warned, smiling humorously. Yugi personally found none of this to be very amusing.

Yugi looked at Bakura, eyes narrowed suspiciously and eyebrows furrowed with worry. "O_kay."_ He said cautiously. "What game, exactly?"

Bakura pulled a deck of cards out of the pocket of his trench coat. Yugi immediately recognized it as a deck of Duel Monsters cards. He hadn't realized that Bakura was into Duel Monsters. It just didn't seem like the type of thing that would interest a juvenile delinquent.

"We're playing _Duel Monsters?_" Yugi asked incredulously.

Bakura gave him a sideways glance and began shuffling the deck. The sound of sifting cards broke up the still silence. "No, not Duel Monsters. We just happen to be using Duel Monsters _cards._"

"Okay, what game?" Yugi asked again, earning him a dark look from Bakura.

Bakura sighed and approached Yugi. "As I said, it's utterly simple Yugi. It will be a simple game of chance. No tricks, no strategies, no skill required. We shall take turns picking from this deck of cards. If each of us gets a monster, they go in a head to head battle whose outcome is decided by the number of Attack points. If one gets a monster, and the other gets a trap or magic card, the monster automatically wins. And if we both get a magic or a trap card, whichever has the stronger effect wins. Traps beat magic, so if that's the case then you know what to do. Any questions? We'll play three rounds…and remember: Winner takes all."

Yugi nodded silently. The game was simple enough…it was like Rock, Paper, Scissors, but you didn't get to choose your piece, it was chance. Bakura couldn't possibly cheat, so Yugi reached out towards Bakura's hand, holding the deck up between them. He drew a card, his heart pounding apprehensively.

_Headless Knight_.

Yugi looked at the life points, 1450…it wasn't so bad, but it wasn't difficult to beat either. Yugi held it in shaking hands as Bakura pulled the next card off the top of the deck.

He showed it to Yugi triumphantly as the _Earl of Demise._ Yugi's heart thumped painfully in his chest. Despite the innocent nature of the game, there wasn't something sinister to the whole thing. The way Bakura smiled eerily at him, his teeth bared sharply. The way he could sense his Other in the Puzzle, counting on him. And what about Bakura's threats about a Shadow Realm? He had seemed so serious, and if he'd been bluffing, Yugi couldn't tell.

He reached hesitantly to draw his second card. His hand rested carefully on the deck, and Bakura was patient as he slowly drew his card. _Zoma the Spirit._ Yugi looked at it hopefully. It was both a monster and a trap…so if Bakura drew a weak monster, or a magic card, or even a weaker trap…Yugi would wind this round.

Bakura was confident as he drew, but to Yugi's joy, he drew _Winged Sage Falcos_. It had 1000 less attack points then his _Zoma_, so Yugi had won this round…but Bakura was so flawlessly calm. His face a mask of indifference.

Yugi's heart faltered as he realized this was the last turn. The deciding turn. But his hand was steady, realizing he could do this. He could overcome Bakura's little game and win back his partner! This wasn't so hard…

He pulled the card…and what he saw made his jaw drop, his hands grow cold. He bit his lip, realizing that unless Bakura drew a magic or trap card, he'd lost. He looked down, showing the card disappointedly.

_Kuriboh. _

Bakura smiled wickedly, pulling the top card, and without looking at it, turned it towards Yugi. Yugi could hardly make himself look at the card, which read_ Dark Necrophia_ across the top. He knew he had lost. He'd failed. Failed his partner, failed himself.

"Yugi…I'm afraid that you just lost. I guess that luck wasn't on your side today…Better luck next time, ah, but wait. I promised you a trip to the Shadows didn't I? So I guess there won't be a next time." The Ring on the ground began to glow.

Bakura picked it up, placing it on his neck. Yugi's eyes grew dim and clouded. His hands grew numbed, and his legs felt like lead. The card slipped away from him, or perhaps it was the numbness effecting his ability to sense it in his hands. The last thing he saw was Bakura, smiling. His eyes burning crimson.

* * *

From in the confines of his own mind, Ryou thought to Bakura, '_So that was it? That was your great Shadow Game? Kind of anticlimactic, don't you think?'_

Bakura, still in control of Ryou's body, snorted. '_What did you expect, something spectacular? I manipulate people and steal, Host. I don't work miracles. This was by far the simplest and most quick and easy way to get the Puzzle, which was my goal. If I had more time, then perhaps I would have elaborated the game. But for now, I'm satisfied.'_

Ryou ignored the comment and moved on. '_So. What's next?'_

What _is_ next? Review or you'll never know! smiles Aren't I a stinker? Here I make you wait for chapters...and then you still have to review to get more. But it's effective! I'm getting much better results as far as interest in this story then in Return With Vengeance, but don't _worry. _For those of you reading that one, I'm still going to update...it's just taking me a while.

Alright, well, go review! Be happy, smile...! Umm... I know my last chapter had a mistake which I was informed of and then fixed! I don't _think_ there are mistakes in this chapter, but if there are...PLEASE TELL ME! Thank you!

ps, please check out Captive Soul (my fic). It didn't get very many hits, and hence very few reviews. It'll only take a bit of your time, and you _might _be pleasantly surprised. You don't have to if you don't want to though... I don't care.

* * *


	6. Chapter 6: Trip to America

Disclaimer: I don't own Holiday Inn...Oh Yeah, I don't own YGO either (sadly).

Just a reminder, if the italics don't have '_apostraphes_' around them, they're thoughts, not words. And, Guess what? I actually had to do some research for this one, yeah, not much though. And...just, ok, read on! (If I made any mistakes, please inform me so I can fix them, thank you! I'm paranoid since my last mistake...)

* * *

"Early this morning, Domino High School student Yugi Muto was found in Domino Central." Ryou turned the volume on his I-pod up a few notches. "He seemed to be healthy, and was in good condition. There was nothing to suggest he got into a fight, but he was found, and remains, in a comatose state. He was flown to Domino Hospital shortly after being discovered by a man on his way to work. Yugi's grandfather had this to say…" A new voice came onto the station. It was old and sounded tired.

"Last night, my grandson Yugi went out at around 7:00. He said he was just going out to play a game with his friend and that he'd be back shortly, and when he didn't come home I called the police. I'm grateful that he's been found, but I _would_ like to know what happened."

The first voice returned. "The boy is in stable condition, but hasn't shown any signs of brain activity. No one knows which friend he went to meet, and there is little evidence to suggest what might've happened last night after he went out. We'll have more later on-"

Ryou clicked the I-pod off. He sighed, tucking it away in his jeans pocket. The Millennium Ring hung weightily around his neck, and he could sense the Puzzle in his suitcase beside him. It had been acting…strangely since Bakura had won it. It seemed almost _angry_, as if a piece of metal could have feelings of any kind. But Bakura claimed it had a spirit in it, and if that was the case, maybe it _was_ angry about being taken from its original owner.

Ryou looked at his plane ticket, and examined all the halls and side entrances in the airport. There must have been a hundred different directions he could take, all leading to a different loading area, only one of which belonged to his flight. People flooded the terminal. Men, woman, children…they were everywhere. Security officers were sprinkled throughout, placed so they had good views of anything going on in their designated area. He sighed again, blowing a piece of hair out of his face and turned, once again trying to locate the hall he should take.

If he ever got out of this deal he had with Bakura, he'd never collect anything ever again. It was way too big of a hassle.

He glanced at a large digital clock, placed on a wall where it was impossible to miss. He had about an hour and a half to get his luggage loaded and then track down where to get on the plane. If he could just figure out where a Customer Service desk was…

'_Why do mortals make things so complicated? This place is a maze…worse then a maze. It's a architectural disaster.' _Bakura scoffed.

'_Don't complain to me.' _Ryou answered distractedly. Suddenly his phone started to buzz. He pulled it out of his jacket pocket. Looking at the number, he hesitated. He seriously considered just turning the phone off and ignoring the call completely. Finally, rolling his eyes, he flipped it open.

"What now?"

"A simple 'Hello' would suffice, Ryou. If there's one thing I've seriously failed in teaching you, it's common courtesy."

_That's not all you failed at. _"Yeah, well, I like to get to the point. It saves me time and money."

"I just wanted to know where you'd gone. I went to your apartment to tell you that I was leaving and they said you'd left this morning. Said you looked like you'd be gone a while too. So, I was wondering where exactly you went?"

"It's not really your business, but I'm going on a trip to America."

There was some sputtering on the other line. "A-America? But _Why?_"

"I have reasons, but none of them are your concern."

"No. Ryou, I have to draw the line here. You are not going. Are you at the airport already?"

"Dad, I'm going. I'll be fine, and since when have you cared what I do? Was it when I got my tattoos?" He accused questioningly. "When I got my ears pierced? Or maybe when I got taken to the _police station_ for injuring someone in a fight? You've never been part of my life, and you can't just now start telling me what to do."

"Ryou. I'm your father, regardless of whether I'm around all the time or not. You aren't eighteen, and so I'm still your legal guardian. I'm telling you that you aren't going to America, no matter how important your reasons are."

A pause. "My flight leaves soon, and I have to go. Oh, and thank you for the Millennium Ring. I appreciate it." He pulled the phone away from his ear, flipping it shut. The white-haired teen held it in his slender hands, and as he passed a trash bin, he gave it a single squeeze, effectively crushing it, and then he dropped it in with a quiet _thud._

'_YOU CANNOT KEEP DOING THIS!' _Ryou screamed at the spirit, who was once again in control and now carrying the suitcase over to a revolving conveyor belt stacked with other people's various luggage.

'_No need to yell, Yadonushi.' _The Spirit reprimanded._ 'Your conversation was taking too long, and you father is an irksome human. You had no need to continue speaking with him, so I took care of it for you.'_

'_I could have done that myself.' _

'_Yes, but you weren't going to. I could tell.' _

'_You _broke_ my phone! Do you know how expensive that was??' _Ryou cried out. Squirming mentally to try and regain control of his body, but it wasn't working. In fact, now that he thought about it, he could only 'speak' because the Koe was allowing him to.

'We can steal you another one. Besides, phones are useless for our goal. They won't help us. I'm the only one you need to keep in contact with, and anyone who would call you is meaningless to me.'

'_You can't just steal a cell phone. It has to be activated, and that doesn't work unless you talk to the people who are selling it to you.'_

'_They're pointless machines anyways. In Egypt, you sent messages by horseback or hawk. You didn't have _phones._ I think you can deal with it.'_

'_We aren't in Egypt.' _Ryou thought huffily to himself. Then, _'Can I at least have _my_ body back?' _

Bakura rolled his eyes…it was hopeless trying to talk to this human, and he was quickly becoming irritated. _'No.'_

'_Why? We're just boarding. There aren't any Items here!' _

'_Is there a point to your ranting…?'_

'_You don't need to be in control.'_

'_You have quite the temper. You should work on that, because you're always going to lose the argument and yelling at an infinitely more powerful spirit won't get you anywhere.'_

Ryou gritted his teeth… _'You're changing the subject.'_

The spirit laughed silently, _'You're a very interesting mortal, even if you are too outspoken and rebellious for my taste. By far the most interesting of the ones I've met in the past.'_

'_Ok, well thanks I guess. But that doesn't change the fact that I want my body back…Now.'_

'_Later.'_

'_Agh, fine. There's no point in arguing with you.'_

'_I told you that. You just don't listen.'_

Ryou bit back his retort. He supposed that he should at least be grateful the Spirit was actually speaking to him. Before, he'd been helpless, trapped, _and _mute. Now he was just helpless and trapped.

He relaxed, looking around the terminal, and for what must have been the hundredth time, searched for the correct loading area. Finally he spotted a sign. It had many different directions on it. It had titles of halls and loading areas, bathrooms, telephones, each with an arrow pointing the way. One specific direction said C10…Ryou looked down at the ticket held in the other's hands. Beside the flight number it said C10.

'_Bakura, it's that way.' _Bakura looked up at the aforementioned sign and began heading towards it. Upon reaching it, the sign said to go left, so he took a sharp left turn.

After ten more minutes of sign-reading, arguing, and being run into by an unfortunate young man who, by the time Bakura was done threatening him, looked ready to pass out, they reached their loading bay. Ryou sighed again. They still had half and hour before the flight left. That would mean 30 minutes of sitting here, wishing he was anywhere else, was any_one_ else.

'_You're life is really not as bad as you make it seem. And I'm offended that you're so sick of me already.' _Bakura feigned offense, his voice sarcastic.

'_What…ok, body-snatching is one thing, but Do. Not. Read. My. Thoughts!' _Ryou ordered loudly, his voice livid.

Bakura laughed at him, enjoying his agitation. '_Is there something you're hiding that you'd rather I didn't know?'_

'_It's…' _He hesitated. '_It's not that. But, they're _my _thoughts. I want at least some privacy. Can you manage that? I'm already sharing _my_ body and _my_ life. Can I have my thoughts to myself?'_

Bakura didn't answer. Ryou suspected he wouldn't listen and began trying to erect the mental barriers that he'd just figured out how to even create. He could sense the walls surrounding Bakura's mind, and he marveled at their strength. They were the equivalent of fifteen foot, solid metal, two-foot thick, barriers. His were like a two foot picket fence.

But how had Bakura made his so strong? Years of practice, perhaps?

Ryou had been prodding them, trying to find a weak point, but there weren't any. Meanwhile, his Koe trampled over his with no resistance. The whole situation was ultimately frustrating. No sense giving up though…he concentrated on blocking his thoughts and emotions from the Ring-spirit. Unsuccessfully…

'_You're a quick learner, but it's going to take more then concentration to barricade your mind against me.' _Ryou's concentration collapsed as the voice intruded upon him. He immediately retaliated. His answer was fueled by the anger at his wall being so easily knocked down by the overly intrusive spirit.

'_Did any of those other mortals you've met ever tell you how stupid you are?' _

'_Is that an insult?'_

Ryou snorted, and replied sarcastically '_No, it's a compliment. Of course it's an insult…and your last comment just adds to the evidence that I'm right.'_

A momentary silence. _'Careful, Ryou…remember the first night I came?' _The thought was low and menacing. Ryou immediately became wary and tense, very aware that Bakura's mood had just taken a cold turn.

'_What about it?' _He asked cautiously.

'_I did something like this.'_ Pain washed through Ryou's mind, knocking down what remained of his mental defenses. His mind became paralyzed and he couldn't answer. He did his best to not cry out, even in his thoughts, but a small whimper escaped him. He could feel the dark satisfaction coming from the other.

'_You've become a bit too comfortable around me, I think.'_

'_So, what…I have…to be quiet and…respectful. No speaking unless it's of vital importance?' _The pain receded as it had the first time, and Ryou was left with a dull throb in the place of the sharp pains.

'_That sounds correct.'_

'_But that's not me.' _Ryou objected reasonably.

'_I know, and honestly, it's quite unfortunate. Your stubborn attitude might prove a problem in the future.' _

'_Please don't do that…whatever you did, again.'_

'_Don't insult or object to me and I won't have to.' _

Ryou's answer was honestly surprised. '_You can't just say, 'don't do that'? You have to punish me by giving me a headache times ten?'_

'_I won't tolerate your personality flaws, if that's what you mean.'_

'_Even so, you can't use, I don't know, _humane_ punishments? In my opinion, I didn't even do anything wrong.'_

'_We'll discuss this later. Your flight is finally boarding.'_

Ryou realized Bakura was correct and pulled back from the link that allowed them to speak to each other.

They passed the gates, showing the attendant their ticket, and then found their seat in the plane. Bakura's eyes closed.

'_Why America, again?'_

Bakura's eyes fluttered open again and his eyebrows knitted together in a frown. '_You can't seem to shut up.'_

'_Um, you started the last argument. So, America?' _He prompted.

Bakura began pulling the information out of his mind and presenting it to his ever so annoying Hikari. '_One Maximillian Pegasus, owner and creator of Industrial Illusions, and of the game of Duel Monsters, lives in America. He is the current owner of the Millennium Eye, Host. Our objective is to gain the items, if you'll remember, and so we have to go to where the items are. We can't expect _all_ of them to come to us.' _

Ryou groaned. _'How did you get stuck on such a pointless goal?' _

'_Far from pointless, actually. But you don't need to know the exact details or the specifics of my reasons. Just be satisfied knowing that it is a worthy cause.'_

Ryou decided to leave it at that. He wasn't in the mood for another debate today, but it seemed Bakura wasn't done with him yet.

'_Yadonushi…I'm quite curious about what happened to your family. Would you care to tell me?'_

Ryou's heart skipped a beat. His family…a topic he avoided at the very best of times. He choked slightly, but finally spit out, '_Why do you care?'_

'_I prefer to know as much about my host as possible. This seems to be your…weak point.'_

Images flickered through Ryou's mind. Flames. Smoke. Fear. People screaming. Crying. _No! _

His voice was breathless and he finally thought carefully. '_No, I won't talk about them. Nothing happened. You don't need to know.' _

Bakura's curiosity flared. What was his Host hiding? What had happened that he refused to talk about? Whatever it was, it could never compare to what had happened to his own family. But, much like his Host, he would not talk about that. It was in the past, and there was no sense dwelling on it. If all went according to plan, he would have his revenge soon enough.

Regardless of Ryou's refusal to speak, Bakura pushed again, _'How did they die?'_

Ryou lashed out at the other mentally, attacking the barriers with sharp mental jabs. '_I said I won't talk about them! Leave me alone.'_

Bakura withdrew. He was far from giving the topic up, but it was obviously going to take time to draw the information he wanted from Ryou.

Ryou's mind felt numb. It still ached dully from his Koe's mental assault, but he'd pushed the pain away. It was just pain, he could deal with it. Having his family brought up so abruptly was something he had a harder time shunning.

His family. His mother…and his sister. They had been his life. He'd loved them so much, only to have them torn away from him. Why? Why had it happened? Amane hadn't deserved to die. She'd been so…happy, so full of life. It seemed _impossible_ that she could have just died like that. But in a matter of minutes, she had. Leaving Ryou alone in the world with no one, save for a father who was never around, never there to provide shelter and comfort. Who had been saved only _because_ he was never around.

_Why, Amane? Why did you leave me…? _Ryou thought to himself, making absolutely sure that the thoughts didn't traverse the link into the Koe's mind. He sighed, finally putting his personal musings and tortured memories away. Locking them tightly in the corners of his mind so that the other couldn't see them.

He was one messed up teenager. Even he couldn't deny it. _Look at me,_ he thought, _I have a spirit living in my mind…I've basically abandoned my father; have since I was ten years old. And I can't let go of my past. No one's life should be so difficult._

He thought about all the teens that had attended all the schools he'd gone to, and been kicked out of. They had normal lives. They went to school, socialized, and managed to keep their grades at a satisfactory level. They went home to families that cared about them. Who loved them…

_Maybe your father would love you, if you gave him the chance. _Ryou accused himself. _You don't let him in. You treat him like dirt. You unfairly blame him for your own choices, your own mistakes. You act like you hate him, when the person you really hate is yourself. _

The revelations hit Ryou like a brick, even more so when he realized how true they were. How _could_ he expect people to care about him, when he didn't even care about himself? The truth was, he couldn't. He _could not_ blame other people for their actions when it was he who was at fault.

Ryou shook the thoughts away. He wouldn't believe that it was his entire fault. Instead, he picked something else and decided to bring it to the attention of the other.

Bakura was looking around him at all the mortals who shared his flight. Fortunately, no one had been foolish enough to take the two other empty seats on his aisle. In fact, everyone had carefully avoided him, giving him wary looks. His Host's very appearance was intimidating, and that combined with his own Dark aura radiating out to everyone in the immediate area made for being excluded. That was how he preferred it, and he was actually content with his surroundings. Perhaps this flight wouldn't be so unbearable as he'd first thought.

'_Why is the puzzle…angry?' _His Host fired the question at him.

He considered the words. He had noticed that a cold, _angry_ feeling had been emanating from the Millennium Item.

'_Well,'_ he began '_If you imagine that, like I said, the Spirit of the Puzzle was destined to be with Yugi Muto, then he would probably be very angry that the course of his fate has been altered. Yugi was perhaps the mortal who was supposed to free the Puzzle Spirit, eventually.'_

'_And that's it?_' came the incredulous reply. '_He's been in that Puzzle for, what 3000 years, and he's mad because he's going to have to wait a bit longer?'_

'_It might also have something to do with the person who stole the puzzle, and the circumstances of the theft.'_

'_Circumstances of the theft...? You mean the Yami no Game? And, wait, he's mad because _you _and _I _took it? Does he know you?'_

Bakura smiled._ 'You could say that. And, yes, the Yami no Game. His former vessel, Yugi Muto's soul is trapped in the depths of the Shadow Realm because he lost the game. If, by chance, the Pharaoh had the opportunity to meet with Yugi, then he may have formed a sort of friendship with him. He'd be worried about his host being trapped in the darkest known realm.'_

Confusion swirled through Ryou's mind, and Bakura could sense it. His smile deepened. _'Is this too confusing for you?'_

'_No.' _He said defiantly. _'I'm not too confused. It's just a lot of information to take in at one time. So, he knows you? The Pharaoh, I mean?'_

'_We weren't exactly friends. He was the Pharaoh, and he and his colleagues had the seven items. Even then, my goal was to possess all seven.'_

'_Old habits die hard?' _Ryou interrupted, earning himself a soft mental jab to which he responded with a small complaint. Then Bakura continued.

'_Anyways, because he and his priests had them, I confronted them on multiple occasions. The Millennium Ring was the first I came to possess.'_

'_Sounds exciting.'_

Bakura rolled his eyes, wondering at his Host's sarcastic, skeptical, and overall vexing attitude. Then he leaned back and relaxed, preparing to rest for the remaining 14 hours until they landed in Florida.

Bakura had said that Pegasus was currently at a Gaming Convention in Orlando, supposedly going to meet with some big gaming tycoons that had offers for him. Ryou had no clue how the spirit had gotten this information, but he was going to bring it up later. For now, he followed the example of the other and relaxed.

* * *

Ryou stepped out of the airport and into the bright light of Orlando, Florida. The humid climate and high temperatures were not totally foreign to Ryou, who'd traveled to Japan once in the summer, but currently in Japan the weather was still fair, and the temperatures were moderately low.

Bakura had handed control back to Ryou sometime during the middle of the flight. He hadn't given an explanation, Ryou had just suddenly found himself stuck in his body once more. He was starting to get used to the 'out of body' experiences he had whenever Bakura took over, but it was always a relief to be back in a solid form.

Dragging his lone suitcase out of the terminal, Ryou tracked down a tourist bus. From there he was transported to a Holiday Inn. After paying, he was handed his room key.

The conditions of the hotel were…less then satisfactory to say the least. Ryou didn't really mind though. He was just shocked that he was actually in America. It wasn't so different, but at the same time, it was a whole new world to him. Jet lag wouldn't allow him to go exploring quite yet. Ryou looked at the clock, it said 8:34 am. 8:30 in the morning, which meant that in Japan it was 12:30 am. Just after midnight. He groaned and collapsed onto the lone bed in the room.

Bakura was up and was restlessly shifting about.

'_Do time zones have no effect on you?' _He asked sleepily.

Bakura ignored him, continuing in whatever he was doing. So Ryou instead pulled out his I-pod and flicked it on, turning the music way up. The music, currently Heavy Metal, seemed to make the Koe edgy, and so Ryou twisted his finger, turning it up until it was as loud as it could go. He laughed then closed his eyes, and leaned back on the bed.

Tracking down Pegasus could wait for a few hours…and there was no way he was staying in America and not exploring at least a little bit. Maybe there would be at least a small upside to helping this deranged spirit.

His eyes closed, and he fell into a light sleep, knowing that when he woke again, the spirit would be dragging him off to take another Item from it's owner. It would be good to get some rest…after all, who knew? Maybe something good would happen. But with his life, the answer was not likely.

* * *

Review please! Chapters get done when Reviews get written.

Ok, sort of a lamo ending for a chapter, I know. But...I didn't want to keep writing, there's the honest truth. I didn't want to continue the chapter _anymore_. And, the last line didn't mean anything ok? Nothing really bad is gonna happen unless I have a creative-inspiring-'Oh My Gosh'-great-idea type of moment. It was just a way to end the chapter. I just didn't want people to all get their hopes up for that and etc. Know what, I'm probably just confusing you all. Forget I said anything.

btw, I know there was a TON of talking in this chapter, and nothing really _happened_. Sorry, if it bores you all.


	7. Chapter 7: Orlando, Florida

This is my longest chapter for this story yet. Ugh, it was not very fun to write, honestly. It gave me a headache, but I'm done complaining! Ok, well. Here's another chapter for you all!

River Fox: No offense on Captive Soul. I'm going to continue it, I've just been preoccupied with this fic. It's actually really hard to write more then one story at a time, which adds to the delayed update of RWV also. Sorry. And, thank you for noticing my mistake. I had a couple messups with the whole phone thing that I managed to fix **before**posting this chapter. Anyways, thanks for noticing that!

* * *

The sights. The sounds. The people.

America was so very different, and yet still quite similar to Japan and England. Japan was overly crowded; the massive skyscrapers stretched into the sky. The buildings were crammed together like sardines. And the people rode their bikes and cars through the streets, clogging them until it might take you hours to go anywhere. The technology was on every corner, and every building. The signs lit up the sky like neon beacons, advertising everything from hair products to the newest cell phone.

England was a place of apartments, buildings, and office complexes. It was more formal then Japan. The style was very Victorian, the old style bleeding into the modern age they lived in today. Everyone went to work in his or her crisp suits, and yet at the same time, it had life. Teens walked down the street with their I-pods blasting just like any other place. Children played in parks with parents.

Orlando seemed to Ryou, a mix between the two. It had buildings, and offices, and apartments, but they were more vivid then in England. Not so official and sharp and, well, Victorian. It was more modern looking. But then, it wasn't as crowded and jam-packed as Japan. And there weren't signs on every corner, flaunting the technological advances, but it was still obvious that this place was as just as advanced as the rest of the country, perhaps more so in some ways. But it was totally its own place, and could hardly be compared to England and Japan because of both the large differences and the subtle ones.

One thing Ryou noticed was the palms and other trees lining streets, keeping the buildings from completely shrouding the natural beauty of what lie outside the city.

Ryou walked down the streets of Orlando, just taking it all in. He hadn't really bothered to go in any shops and stores yet. For now he was just exploring in general. He had gotten plenty of odd looks from people walking on the sidewalk around him, probably because of his hair. It seemed to get him more attention then he wanted. Perhaps cutting it wouldn't be such a horrible idea after all.

'_I really don't understand what you find so fascinating about this place. It's just another city. The people are the same. The buildings are the same. And even the climate isn't totally unique_…'

Ryou hissed. He hated having his thoughts interrupted by the Spirit so consistently. But he refused to be forced into getting on with their little 'quest' before he'd had a chance to see what there was to see.

'_I've never been to America, and the people here aren't the same. Neither are the buildings. It's all totally different. And here I thought you were perceptive_.'

Ryou paused at a Gas Station on a corner before turning and going in. As soon as he entered, he was hit with a wave of cool air. It was refreshing after the humidity and almost insufferable heat of Florida's ecosystem. He just stood there for a moment, letting the icy breeze float over him. Then he sauntered contentedly to the back where he grabbed a large energy drink from an ice-filled barrel. Going back to the front, he took his time. He trailed one pale finger over the numerous bags and packages, some he recognized, and others he didn't.

Finally he approached the counter where a girl, only a year or so older then he, was leaning against the counter with a bored expression. Her dark brown hair hung straight down her back, part of it covering her face. She looked up as he came over, shaking the dark hair away from her eyes. He slid the cold can across the counter and she punched in a few numbers on the register.

As he waited, Ryou looked at all the small candies and knick knacks sitting on the counter. As an afterthought, he grabbed a black lighter, tossing it onto the counter beside his drink.

"Throw that in as well." He said, eyes flitting unconsciously to her face. The girl smiled, probably at his foreign accent.

"It's 2.50. You're not from around here?" She said conversationally as he pulled a ten-dollar bill out of a black wallet and handed it to her.

"On vacation, actually." He replied, casually leaning forward.

'_What do you think you're doing?'_

"Oh? Where from?" She said, waiting for the register to print the receipt.

"Well, I was born in England, but I'm currently living in Japan…but," He winked "I'll be here for a while if you want my number." He smiled, lifting a hand to shift his hair off his shoulder. She handed him the small receipt along with his drink and the lighter.

'_We don't have time for this, fool_.'

Suddenly she laughed, a high clear sound. "Thanks, but no, um..." She looked at him pointedly, waiting for his name.

"Ryou Bakura." He supplied.

She laughed again, then continued, "Yeah, that's really nice of you Ryou. But I have a boyfriend who wouldn't like that very much. I hope you enjoy Florida, all the same."

"That's a shame." He said with a small frown. "Perhaps another day then…" He took his things with a last look at her. Then he exited, going back into the blistering heat of the day.

The sun beat down on him, and he cracked open the energy drink, taking in a large gulp thirstily.

'_What was that little display?' _Ryou said nothing. _'Stop ignoring me, foolish mortal!' _

Ryou winced at the threatening jab to his mind and said calmly _'I don't know what you mean, and I could do without the cheesy insults.'_

'_Don't play coy with me. You don't have time to flirt with ever random girl you meet here. Besides, if you'll remember, your phone is probably sitting in a dumpster right now.'_

Ryou sighed. _'What, no fun? I knew she wouldn't accept, so the phone didn't matter. I think you're just jealous that girls like me better then you.'_

'_Honestly.'_ he scoffed. _'I don't care, or have the time, for such petty things as satisfying mortal desires, such as your own. And as long as you work with me, neither do you.'_

'_Oh joy. Don't you ever get bored? I mean, how long have you been trying to get all these Items?' _Ryou touched the Puzzle that hung around his neck with the Ring.

'_How long is of no concern to you.' _He said with, what to Ryou, sounded like a defensive tone.

'_Mhm, yeah. That's what I thought, and you've only just now gotten **one**. And you couldn't have done it without me.'_

_'Oh? I think you are slightly over confident.'_

Ryou cut the connection, feeling bored with the conversation. No sooner had he done that, he felt an invasive force pressing on his mind. He immediately opened the link, before the Spirit could do too much damage to him.

'_What?' _He asked angrily.

'_Will you never learn? I'm the one controlling our situation, Host. You have no right to cut me off in such a manner_.' Ryou laughed, earning him odd looks from the people around him, but the Koe actually sounded offended.

'_You sound just like my dad, telling me I have 'no right' to do this and that. And, in answer to your question, I'm a slow learner._'

'_And you continue act like the stupid mortal that you are._'

Ryou carefully closed the connection with, '_Ok, I'm leaving now…_' and scowled when the Koe did the exact thing he'd just done and slammed the door on their link.

Ryou took another sip of his drink. He placed a hand on his stomach as it growled slightly. Pulling out a watch he'd purchased due to the loss of his phone he saw that it was 3:00. He hadn't been hungry earlier, so he hadn't eaten lunch, or breakfast for that matter. But now, it was around 7:00 in Japan, and he hadn't eaten in nearly 16 hours. He was starved.

What sounded good? Fast food restaurants were dotted down the street. Arby's, McDonald's, Wendy's…all sounded utterly unappetizing. Then there were the sit down places. Denny's, he could see an IHOP on the next corner…Both were officially breakfast establishments, but then, better late then never, right? He headed towards the Denny's slowly, though the thought of food made his mouth water.

He wasn't eager to be a point of attention, though. And walking into Denny's by himself in the middle of the afternoon would definitely draw the attentions of anyone who happened to be in there, if not because of the out of the ordinary time, then because of his more then slightly unnatural appearance. He swerved, instead heading towards the Arby's. At least there, he wouldn't be quite so out of place.

He ate his lunch in relative peace. The Spirit had receded, preferring to be left to his own thoughts, though he didn't seem to have any problems with invading upon Ryou's mind whenever he liked. Ryou didn't have a problem with the Spirit leaving him alone for a while though. It was nice to have a little peace.

As much as it seemed an easy task, keeping open a mental link and maintaining ongoing conversations internally took quite a bit of concentration and was mentally tiring.

Which is why the sooner I get rid of this blasted Bakura, the better. Ryou thought to himself as he munched thoughtfully on a curly fry. He considered the actual reason they had come to America.

For the Millennium Eye.

Bakura had been sketchy about describing what it did. He was hesitant to talk about the items to him at all. He only gave the barest background and it was generally on a need-to-know basis. Mostly, it seemed, he just liked to argue with, yell at, and punish his Host. Ryou thought the other found enjoyment in just tormenting him. That's why he did his very best to torment him right back.

He sighed; at least the other hadn't pestered him about his family anymore. He hoped that he'd forgotten about it.

Ryou stood, dumping the remainder of his food into the trash bin and exiting back into the sweltering heat. The temperatures had soared that day, and compared to the cool air-conditioned restaurant, out in the open was a virtual oven.

Ryou pushed his hair over his shoulder, and tucked it behind his ear in an attempt to let some air onto his neck. Of course, his hair, thick as it was, just slid back to where it usually hung, framing his face.

A voice entered his mind, unbidden.

'_You know what you're doing is wrong…_' It said in an accusing tone.

Ryou immediately fired back at the Koe. '_What? What's wrong! Are you never satisfied_?'

When Bakura responded, his mental 'voice' was irritated. _'What are you talking about you insolent child? I didn't even say anything to you._'

Ryou cocked his head to the side curiously, stopping to sit on a bench that lined the sidewalk.

'_You…didn't say anything? Yes you did, though_.'

'_No_,' Bakura corrected angrily, '_I said nothing, and you interrupted me_.'

Ryou smirked, '_And what, exactly, were you doing?_'

'_None of your concern_.'

'_Regardless, you _did _say something_.'

Bakura seemed to sigh. '_No, Yadonushi, I didn't say a word to you. Now go away_.'

'_Ok…_' Ryou knew he'd heard something. There was no way you imagined something so clear. The intention of the voice he'd heard had been…in the same manner as a parent punishing a child. Ryou closed his eyes, concentrating on the presence in his mind.

As he suspected, the other's 'aura', his distinctive essence, was not the same as the one he'd heard with the voice from before. He concentrated harder, searching for a match to that within his mind.

He didn't have to search long. After a few moments a voice said to him, '_If you know what's good for you, you'll stop. Go home, return the item you've taken to its rightful owner.'_

Ryou flicked his eyes open. "Gotcha." He whispered. Now that the voice had spoken again, he followed the link and to his surprise, felt it distinctly connected to the Puzzle. Could the Spirit of the Puzzle really speak to him just like Bakura?

'_Who are you?_' he asked cautiously, unsure of this particular spirit's loyalties, dispositions, and most unnerving, his mental prowess. If he was anything similar to Bakura, Ryou didn't want to make him too angry.

'_Have you not figured that out, Ryou Bakura_?'

'_The Spirit of the Puzzle. A Pharaoh, right?_' Ryou cautious attitude blew over. This spirit's attitude was much more calm and less menacing then Bakura's.

'_Yes. Obviously Bakura has told you about me.'_

_'Not much._' Ryou replied. '_Only that you were in the Puzzle, and you were a Pharaoh_.'

The voice had a sense of urgency about it now. '_Ryou, it is very important that you don't help the Spirit of the Ring any more. You must listen to me.'_

Ryou immediately felt defensive towards the Koe whom he'd known longer. Bakura was a nuisance, but he was familiar. And something about this new spirit was getting on his nerves. He just seemed too good. Immediately, Ryou knew exactly who he was reminded of. Yugi. The all too trusting bully-magnet he'd helped put into a coma. Perhaps because Yugi was the owner of the Puzzle, the spirit within the puzzle took on his personality and perhaps his appearance as well. Just like Bakura.

'_Why? I don't see you doing anything for me. And you aren't proving a threat. Why should I listen to you?_'

'_Ryou, you don't understand. That Spirit is just using you. Whatever he has promised you; I can guarantee he won't come through. He's a liar-_'

'_He's not promised me anything. I'm not getting anything out of this…except getting rid of all of you spirits_.'

A confused pause. '_He…didn't make a deal with you? He hasn't promised you wealth or land or…anything?'_

_'No.'_

'_Then_,' Now the voice was completely flustered. '_Why help him? Surely you can sense he's evil?!_'

Ryou's temper flared. He lashed out, feeling a satisfying flinch from the new Spirit. His walls weren't nearly as guarded as Bakura's. '_How are you any different? You've both invaded my life. You're both getting on my nerves. Besides, I have no reason to not help him._'

'_Purely evil intentions isn't reason enough_?' This new spirit said, his voice almost desperate. Trying to reason with the stubborn teen. '_How can you justify his actions_?'

Ryou bit back the many things he could've said, swearing under his breath. '_Simply_.' He growled. '_I just don't care_.' He slammed the connection. Another dissimilarity between the two spirits: unlike Bakura, this new spirit simply pulled away dejectedly rather then becoming angry and attacking Ryou. But he did it with a dignified, persistent air, which Ryou assumed meant he'd be back to argue the point later.

Ryou put a hand to his forehead, rubbing it hard. Maybe he should just go step in front of one of the many tour buses constantly passing him on the busy streets. Then he wouldn't have to deal with all this.

'_If you lived through it, you'd have to deal with me. And I would not be happy_.'

Ryou almost screamed out loud. Could he not get twenty minutes of peace?

_'You are never happy! NOW LEAVE ME ALONE!'_

Bakura pressed back, not appreciating Ryou's disrespect, and sending frequent sharp twinges into Ryou's mind with his words.

'_You **will** learn your place, Host_.' Ryou flinched, but refused to let the Spirit get the better of him. He bit his lip and let Bakura continue. '_Or you will not have one. I can make you wish you'd been hit by a bus.'_

'_Have you always been so cheerful_?' Ryou asked sarcastically, earning another sharp pang.

'_Do you enjoy pain? Do you enjoy acting like such an imbecile?_'

Ryou did not answer; instead, he stood and began walking again.

Finally he asked, _'When do we find Pegasus?'_

The Koe was willing enough to answer, saying, _'Tonight. There's a large conference, with an equally large dinner party after words. The conference is concerning technology Kaiba Corp. is offering to Industrial Illusions. Specifically designed to enhance the experience of the game Duel Monsters. We'll be sneaking in.'_

'_How do you find all this information, when you are in my mind?'_

'_I'm much more observant then you, Ryou. You have seen or heard this information you just don't realize it. Televisions, newspapers, magazines, its all there. When you pass them without giving them a second glance, I am noticing anything that might be useful.'_

Another block of time passed in silence. Ryou listened to the sounds of the city. He caught snippets of conversation. He looked at signs, trying to be more 'observant', as the other said. Regardless, he didn't hear anything that would be useful to them.

Slowly, his mind turned to home. But could he actually call it home? Yes, he lived in Japan…but he wasn't attached to anything there, or anyone. Florida could have been as much his home as Japan was. He hadn't met anyone there. He had no friends…at least in England he'd had a few buddies he'd hung out with.

In fact, he'd probably forfeited any chance at having a 'life' with friends, people to talk to, and anything else personal, in Japan, what with the whole situation with Yugi. A question occurred to him. Yugi had gone into a coma, but why? All the Spirit had said was that the game was a Yami no Game, right? He couldn't exactly recall.

He brought it up to Bakura who replied informatively,_ 'Yugi is in the Shadow Realm, the place I told you about, if you'll remember?'_

Ryou nodded unconsciously. _'Yea, I remember, but why did he go there? All you did was play a card game.'_

'_You really don't listen, do you. It was a Yami no Game. He lost, and so he had to play my Penalty Game. The Penalty, in this case, was a trip to the Shadow Realm. But only the Soul is sent there, so his body remains here.'_

'_Can a person who is sent to the Shadow Realm ever come back?' _Ryou asked, seriously curious for once.

'_Yes, if I choose_.'

Ryou nodded again in understanding. He looked up, they were coming towards his hotel. He entered, moving quickly through the lobby. Rather then go up in the elevator, he elected to use the stairs.

Entering his dark room, he lay on the bed, resting his head up on the headboard.

'_Wake me up when we're leaving.' _Ryou requested, before falling into a light sleep.

* * *

'_Yadonushi, wake up, or you'll miss all the entertainment_.'

This, with an accompanying mental slap, woke Ryou with a start. He sat up quickly, only to find that he wasn't in the hotel anymore. And to find that he wasn't actually in control.

It was dark out. Stars were pinpricks of light on the velvety black night sky, though smog hid most of them from view. Light stained the horizon a bloody red. Streaks spread horizontally, but were quickly fading, indicating it was just after sunset.

Bakura, though, was not focused on the night, or the remaining ribbons of light, but on a large building. A skyscraper. It towered above them, and the top ended in a thin spire that, from so far, looked needle-sharp. His eyes were scanning the entrance, where people, men in their sharp suits and women in thin, often revealing dresses, got out of various limos and sporty cars.

A group of burly security guards checked all the guests, ensuring they were actually invited. No party crashers here. After the people passed through security, they were allowed entrance into the building.

Ryou struggled to gather his bearings, finding it unbearably uncomfortable to be separated from his body again.

'_Bakura! I realize that you think of my body as your own personal tool for you to just take and use however you want, but you really have to stop taking over without even warning me.' _Ryou said, sounding like a whining child even to himself.

Bakura just pushed him away, silencing him so he could no longer send thoughts to the other. This succeeded in irritating Ryou even more, but, seeing as how he could no longer speak, he settled back to watch.

Quietly, Bakura sent him a thought. _'We're at the Industrial Illusions, Florida headquarters. The conference ended about an hour ago, and the party is being held here. We'll be getting in, crashing the party as it were, and finding Pegasus. Once we do, I'll take his Millennium Eye and we'll leave. I expect you to sit back and watch. No. Speaking.' _

Bakura stood. Ryou took a chance to take in their own surroundings. They were behind a row of hedges lining the outskirts of the Industrial Illusions grounds. Trees were behind them, providing a dark shade that hid them perfectly. Ryou found that he was wearing a black turtleneck, one he hadn't realized he owned, and a pair of black jeans. He also had a black duffle bag.

_Well, this is great while we're out here, but if and when we get in the building we'll stick out like a sore thumb. _Ryou thought to himself. Then he did as the Koe had suggested, and settled back to see how he planned on accomplishing the task set before them.

Bakura moved stealthily forward, sticking closely to the hedges, and never leaving the shade. Floodlight were trained on the entrance, front walkway, and initial parking, but the sides and back of the building were virtually unprotected. The only light was that from the windows of this building, and from the buildings around it.

Once they got around to the back of the building, Bakura lithely slid out of the cover of the foliage. He sprinted to the building, flattening himself on the wall. But despite his caution, a confident and controlling feeling was seeping through their connection to Ryou. Bakura wasn't worried, he was sure of his ability to do this and not get caught.

Intrigued, Ryou paid close attention to Bakura's actions.

A grey door was slightly to the left. It had an electronic lock; a keycard was required to open it. In addition to that, a heavy lock was on the handle. The door was apparently unused.

Bakura wasn't put off though. He pulled out a thin black box. Opening it, there were a series of metal picks and bent rods, most roughly about the size of an elongated toothpick. He pulled a long, thick pick from a slot. It had unevenly spaced bends, and Bakura slid it expertly into the manual lock. His fingers twitched it side to side, activating one tumbler at a time, until the lock sounded a _click_ that seemed deafening in the near silence behind the building.

Removing the lock, Bakura then moved on to the electric security. He pulled a set of wires out of the duffle bag. They were neatly tied together, red, blue, yellow, and white. Bakura snipped the chord holding them together with a pocketknife. Then he pulled out of the black bag a grey electric drill. It was battery powered, and Bakura turned it on.

The bit was sharp, so sharp that Ryou knew Bakura must have manually sharpened it. He wondered where Bakura had gotten all these tools, since he didn't even own any of these things, not to mention they were in a foreign country. But he was unable to speak, so he swallowed his curiosity and paid attention.

Bakura was drilling small holes into the metal, keycard box. After he'd drilled five holes he set the drill aside. Then he took the wires, which Ryou now noticed had small metal clips on the ends, and poked each one into a different hole, putting the white wires into the two holes farthest apart.

Having done this, he tied all the opposite ends together and pulled out a small battery box. He put the tied ends into a slot on the battery box and flipped the switch.

Electricity traveled up the wires. With a hissing _fzzt_, a wisp of black smoke sputtered from the electric box. The red light, indicating that the door was locked, flickered. After a few moments, it turned green. A resounding click sounded from the door.

With a smirk, Bakura turned the handle. The door swung open easily, without so much as a squeak.

'_And we're in…_'

The room they entered appeared to be a generator and maintenance room. Pipes, electric boxes, and a large pump that looked like a water heater, filled the room from top to bottom. Wires crisscrossed the ceiling and various metal and plastic pipelines disappeared into the ceiling, walls, and floor. Tools for cleaning and fixing electric appliances and technology were in cupboards, and piles. But most of the stuff looked unused and forgotten, just like the door.

Across the room was a second door. Bakura walked over to it, leaving the black bag in a corner of the room behind a large metal case, twice his height.

Exiting into the hall outside the door, Bakura laughed quietly. "I'm coming Pegasus."

* * *

Review please! Makes me happy! And despite what you may think, chapters really come faster if I get reviews. And if I can successfully get another chapter up on this story, it will have overtaken Return With Vengeance on length. That one...well, let's just say I'm having plot struggles.

Check out my other stories if you're bored or if you like Ryou and Bakura, since that's who they're all about.


	8. Chapter 8: Faceoff for the Eye

Hey, pretty fast if I do say so myself! I have to say that the Shadow Game in this, well, I borrowed the idea from the Anime so it's not completely original but the setting and the conditions and everything are. Just the overall idea isn't. There, that's my disclaimer. Anyhoo, read on.

* * *

"Ah, Mr. Pegasus, Sir…It seems we have a slight…um, breach, in Security."

Pegasus turned his head slightly, looking over his shoulder to where a tall, burly guard stood. He wore a typical black suit, complete with black sunglasses despite the late hour and being indoors. He held his hands clasped behind his back formally and stood rigidly straight, always alert in the presence of his employer.

Pegasus smiled though and said cheerfully, "Can't it wait? I was just having a simply splendid conversation with Mr. Kateshii and his wife from Kaiba-boy's board of executives." He gestured towards the stocky, balding man beside him and the homey women in an unflattering mauve dress at his side.

"Well, Sir, I think that it might be of some interest to you to come see this…" insisted the guard.

Pegasus smiled again, but it was dangerous. His silver hair shifted slightly, revealing a flash of gold. "I'll ask you again, can this small matter wait? I'm aware of the intruder and I'm quite sure that it can be taken care of by one of your squads. Now…" The man nodded stiffly and a vein pulsed on his temple just as Pegasus turned back to the man and his wife and said apologetically, "I'm quite sorry for the disturbance…You were saying?"

The guard walked away from where Pegasus was speaking animatedly to another man, this one younger then the last. He then put a hand to a charcoal grey device attached to his ear. Pressing a button on the bottom of it, he barked, "Get the squad in sector D to take care of the intruder. Have him escorted to the nearest Police Station until Mr. Pegasus can see him." He paused, obviously listening to someone on the other side of the connection. "I don't care, he's an intruder, and I want him out of this building. Get on it."

* * *

Bakura walked casually down the darkened hallway, away from the room where he'd initially entered. The Millennium Ring glowed faintly, offering some light in the windowless hallway. Closed doorways lined the walls, some with plastic plaques to offer what the room's use was, others were blank and had locks similar to the ones he'd disabled on them.

He smiled slightly, completely aware of the cameras set at various intervals down the hallway. He hadn't bothered to disable the cameras. The goal was to be discovered at this point, and any guards Pegasus sent to get rid of him could be easily dealt with in manners that would surely draw Pegasus away from the lively party and into the dark, uninhabited areas at the back of the building. The areas where Bakura would wait for his chance to snag his prize.

He was close, so close. Closer, in fact, then he'd been in nearly 3000 years. The last time he'd possessed more then one item, it had ended in abrupt failure. Essentially, it had landed him in the Ring, but it had also given him a second chance. And the chance was proving to be worth it.

Bakura reached the end of the hall where a stairway veered down steeply to the left and a metal door complete with manual lock stood to the right. In front of him was a wooden door with a neat polish. Light could be seen through the crack under the door. Though it would be a simple task to pick the lock on the right, just as he had the other, he instead took the stairway. It led down steeply into the basement of the building. Slowly, as he descended, the carpet floors and sheetrock, wallpaper decorated, walls gave way to metal.

The temperature dropped with the loss of insulating building materials, but the cold didn't bother the thief in the slightest.

'_Well, my Yadonushi, are you enjoying our little excursion yet?'_ He asked, not expecting an answer from his mute Host.

Ryou was as entertained as one might be by watching a movie in a theater. But there were some key differences between his current situation and that of watching a good movie. First was the fact that it was his body that was the main character, under the control of a Spirit whom Ryou now believed without a doubt was completely insane. The other was enjoying this; in fact he seemed almost enraptured by the experience.

The second was the looming reality of the whole thing. They had _really_ broken into a building. Not just a building, the Florida HQ of one of the largest gaming and tech. Companies in the entire world! Broken in as though it were a cheap shack with a deadbolt. Ryou couldn't help but wonder where in the world Bakura had gained such skills in breaking and entering. Just how often did he go about like this? And there was still the question of where he'd gotten all his tools.

But all these unanswered mysteries were put aside, as Ryou was fixed on the present.

Suddenly a soft pattering of feet sounded at the top of the stairway. Bakura's head whipped around, sharp eyes searching the dark stairs for the source of the footsteps. But, rather then wait to be discovered, he instead did something that caught Ryou completely off guard.

He pulled from his pants pocket, a card.

The Millennium Ring still glowed faintly as he placed the card on the stairs face up. It was too dark to see which card he'd set down, but Ryou could faintly see the pink-purple coloring of a Trap from the game of Duel Monsters.

What the significance of this game was, Ryou had no clue, but the Spirit kept bringing it up in some way or another. Dragging himself back to the present, Ryou watched as Bakura nodded in satisfaction and moved, once again, deeper into the depths of the building. The stairs seemed to go down forever.

But, no sooner had they gone far enough that they couldn't see the step the card was placed on, a cry of surprise and fear echoed down. It was followed by cries for help.

Bakura paused mid-step, considering whether to return to the top of the stairs or just continue. Then, his eyes bright, he chuckled maliciously and said, "Shall we go and inspect the damage?"

He walked quickly back up the stairs, eager to see what destruction he'd caused. As it happened, the damage was far greater then Ryou had expected. Had he been in control of his body, his jaw would have dropped, and even without being cut off from speaking, he was speechless.

Where the stairway once was, a massive hole now gaped. It stretched almost the entire width of the stairs, leaving only a mere three or so inches of clearance on either side. It was about a meter across lengthwise and its depth was such that the bottom couldn't be seen from their spot on the stairs just below it. The hole, like the stairs, was angled downward.

Bakura walked straight up to the edge and peered in, his face twisted into a delighted smile, which seemed completely wrong for the calls for help and groans of pain coming from the pit before them. As Ryou had noted, it was very deep, it looked almost eight or nine feet deep to Ryou's amazement. In the bottom of the hole were five men in dark suits. All of them were very similar; each was big and looked well muscled.

As Ryou looked though, through Bakura's eyes, he saw that three of the guards were on the ground. One appeared to be unconscious, his head lolled limply to the side. Another was holding his ankle tightly with one hand, and his other arm was held at an awkward angle. Most of the cries of pain were coming from him. The third man on the floor was conscious, but he had a large gash on his forehead that was bleeding freely and looked like he was in a daze.

The remaining two men were calling for help, one with his voice, the other with the communication set clipped to his ear. As they saw Bakura looking in from the top of the whole, they cried out in alarm.

"You!" the one who'd been calling for help pulled out a handgun. "You'd better freeze…Don't move and you won't get hurt."

Bakura pulled out a second card from his pocket and glanced at it mirthfully. Then he dropped it into the hole. It fluttered down, and the guards eyed it suspiciously. As soon as it hit the floor, thin streams of pale yellow light seeped out and surrounded each of the guards.

The guard with the handgun managed to get off a shot before he too was surrounded by the strange yellow streams, but Bakura stepped to the side and it sped by harmlessly, hitting the ceiling and making a penny-sized hole. By the time Bakura had turned back from looking at the hole in the ceiling, the card had done its job.

Each and every guard, even the unconscious and injured, were trapped in circles of the pale light, which faded so that it was nearly invisible and it appeared the guards were struggling against thin air. The two capable men wriggled and twisted, desperately trying to get free, but they were helpless to even move their arms.

"Tell your employer I wish to have an audience with him…" Bakura said, then balanced across the meager amounts of stairway left on the side of the pit so that he was once again traveling back up the stairs.

* * *

"Mr. Pegasus, Sir. It's vital that you come and overlook the break in." whispered the same man who'd come before to a now less-then-cheerful looking Pegasus.

"Honestly, can't a business man get…" Pegasus turned, his Eye searching the guard closely. "I see, alright. Take me to the area of the break in."

Pegasus' face was lost in thought, his mind on the intrusion. He'd take care of this little distraction and then get back to the guests. It was important that he be in attendance, or the whole operation with Kaiba Corp. could fall through. Yes, best to make this as fast as possible.

After following the guard for five minutes, they finally reached the very back of the building. Few lights were on, but that was remedied as the guard flicked a few switches, bathing the hallway before them in light.

This was the hallway that the intruder had entered through. Cameras had caught him as he exited the maintenance room at the very end of the hall, and had followed his progress as he'd traversed the length of the hall and gone into the basement. There were no cameras in the basement, so the only information they had concerning what he'd done down there was what came from the guards who were supposedly trapped somehow.

"Go down and see what's going on with those guards, help them if they need it." Pegasus ordered the lone guard who'd guided him to the area.

He protested, "But, Mr. Pegasus! The intruder! He could still be in the building!"

Pegasus held up his hand, "I'm perfectly capable of defending myself against a teenage intruder."

The guard nodded slowly, not bothering to mention that he'd never said it was a teen that'd invaded the building. Then he proceeded down the dark stairs to their right, pulling out a flashlight.

Pegasus continued down the now lit hall. "Alright, come out and I won't call back my guards." He said loudly, eyeing the dark doorways where the light wouldn't reach.

"Don't make me laugh. Your incompetent guards couldn't capture even the _clumsiest_ and most inexperienced of thieves." A dark figure stepped out of an open doorway a good ways down the hall. "And I am neither."

He kept to the wall as he approached, and stopped about ten feet away. The Ring, the source of power Pegasus had sensed, around his neck glowed faintly as did the Puzzle, though its glow was far dimmer then the Ring.

"So, you are the one who's caused me so much trouble this evening."

The thief smiled, bearing sharp teeth. "Did I?" His Ring glowed a bit more brightly.

Pegasus pulled his hair off his face so that his Millennium Eye was uncovered, staring blankly at the silver-haired teen.

"Ah," he sighed, having read the intentions of the thief out of his mind. "so it's the Eye you want, is it? You know, I trust, the stakes of gaining and Item...and playing a Shadow Game." Pegasus said softly.

"Know them?" the teen scoffed. "I've been playing Yami no Games since the age they came into existence, mortal."

This piece of information caught Pegasus unaware. His mind reeled…how could he be telling the truth? But, through the power of the Eye, his mind revealed that he was not lying. The threatening figure, despite his young appearance, spoke truthfully.

"Well, I'll play your game," Pegasus said without hesitating. "but first I must know your name. I refuse to play games with someone I haven't even been introduced to." He demanded confidently. His face was calm, but his single eye was hard and determined. This boy knew what he was doing, and he held a strong power and, Pegasus sensed, quite a bit of control over his Items.

His posture was relaxed and indifferent, but he said, "I am Bakura, and I'm somewhat of a collector. We'll be playing a game of my choice, Maximillian Pegasus."

Pegasus shrugged, "You _are_ the guest, I suppose. What shall we be playing?"

Bakura was silent for a few moments then said, "The only tools we'll be using will be our Items. The question is, who has mastered theirs more fully? You or me?"

Pegasus considered the game Bakura had suggested and stated, "I've had my Item for almost eight years."

"And I've had mine for less then a month." Bakura countered, "What is your point?"

Pegasus was taken aback, less then a month? "Well, then surely you'd prefer to play a game where we'd be more evenly matched. In the game you've presented, I'd have the advantage."

"Then you should have no trouble defeating me, or are you afraid?" he taunted, making Pegasus frown.

"Alright then, a contest of mastery it is." He said as Bakura's Ring began to glow with a brilliant blue light. Then the light dimmed once again and Bakura's voice echoed down the hall.

"But first I have a question for you." He didn't wait for Pegasus to respond, rather he continued, "As I said, I'm a collector. If I win, I'll want to find the remaining items. A collector is never satisfied until his _collection_ is complete, after all." He paused, eyeing Pegasus warily. "You wouldn't happen to know the whereabouts of the remaining four items, would you?"

Pegasus thought about the question carefully. There could be no harm in answering, after all; surely _he _would be the victor.

"Egypt would be the place to begin searching. Egypt is where the Items originated, and where I got my Eye. The man who gave me my Item had an Item of his own as well." He smiled cheerfully. "If you _do _happen to win, although I doubt that conclusion, then that would be the first place you'd want to look. And who am I to keep a collector from gaining his prizes?"

"Who indeed…?" Bakura replied, the Ring beginning to glow once again.

Pegasus drew on the power of his Eye, and then channeled it so that the Eye began to glow a deep red. The two Item's auras spilled light onto the walls. Red and blue, splashing the white walls with bright color.

As if on a silent cue, the two items shot beams of light at each other. The beams struck between the two people, flashing brilliantly. Where the streams of energy met, white and black sparks shot into the air, dancing before going out. They crashed together, pushing hard, with a sound like a cut electric wire.

Pegasus glared, concentrating all his energy into the beam, and was rewarded as his red beam began advancing, pressing the blue back towards Bakura. Bakura's eyes, to Pegasus' pleasure, held hints of worry. It seemed he was just now realizing his foolish mistake in challenging him to a Shadow Game.

Then something changed. Bakura's eyes were no longer worried, or even hesitant. Now his expression was wickedly triumphant. Without warning, the Ring's power tripled in strength. The blue beam swelled and pressed forward. Black sparks exploded from the deep stream of energy.

Shouts of fear drifted towards Bakura and Pegasus as the men the guard had managed to help out of the pit witnessed what was going on. They were too afraid to come forward and try to assist though. So they just watched in amazed horror.

Pegasus pushed harder then ever. A drop of sweat dribbled down his brow. He refused to give in, and he knew there was still a chance for him to win. Then something else unexpected happened. The Puzzle began to glow brighter, and moments later a beam of purple light exploded from the Eye of Horus in its center. The purple beam swirled around the blue, mixing until it was a deep violet. More black sparks shot into the air like miniature fireworks, shrouding the hall in a bright haze.

Now the hall was ablaze with light, and the sound was deafening with crackles of lightening and thunderous explosions. Pegasus was becoming genuinely frightened as he sensed his strength dwindling, and Bakura wasn't acting fatigued at all. How did he have such a firm endurance at such a young age? Somehow his opponent had fully mastered his Items in less then a month. Something he hadn't accomplished in all the eight years he'd had his Eye.

With a final burst of energy, the now black-violet beam burst forward and the crimson red retreated with a snap.

The force of the blow, and of Bakura's Items' energy slamming into him, sent Pegasus flying backwards. His hands fell limply to the ground.

"Mr. Pegasus!" The guards cried, rushing forward to aid their fallen employer.

Bakura also walked forward, closing the distance between him and his opponent. The guards, who'd witnessed the whole thing, didn't object accept one. He rushed forward, hands curled into fists. Seconds later he was leaning against the opposite wall with a black eye and dislocated wrist.

Pegasus was only just barely awake. His eyes were blurred, and he winced as Bakura knelt down next to him.

"So, Master Pegasus. It seems that you didn't have the advantage after all."

"I was…mistaken." Pegasus said softly. "You can take the eye."

"Oh I will." Assured Bakura. "But you forget, that a shadow game has consequences. You must play my penalty game."

"Wait, no!" he protested. But Bakura interrupted.

"You agreed to my Shadow Game, and you lost. You have to play the penalty game." He leaned in, hooking two fingers around the Millennium Eye. Pegasus fell unconscious, but not before he felt the excruciating pain, like having his eye torn out, which in a sense, it was.

Bakura stood up, his fist curled around the bloody golden sphere. He took a last look at Maximillian Pegasus, whose left side of his face was now dripping with crimson blood. The guards were swarming over him, calling for backup, desperately trying to tend his injuries. By the time they thought to look for the intruder who'd caused all the damage, he was long gone.

Out in the trees, Bakura was tucking the Millennium Eye into the black duffle bag, which he'd retrieved as he made his escape. After he was situated and walking away from the building, he allowed his shocked Host to speak.

'_Well? You're quiet Ryou.' _

Another silent minute passed before Ryou gathered himself enough to say _'Did you send Pegasus to the Shadow Realm too?'_

Bakura smirked. _'No. I gave him something slightly more…painful then a simple trip to the realm of eternal darkness.'_

'_What did you do?'_

'_Let's just say that he's experiencing his worst memories, his worst nightmares, over and over and over for the rest of his existence.'_

Ryou shuddered, thinking of his own worst memories. Screaming. Smoke. Chaos. It truly would be a nightmare to live those memories for the rest of his life. But he wasn't about to let the Spirit know about his own weakness.

Instead he said, _'You're insane.' _

Bakura nodded his agreement. _'I never denied it, did I my foolish Host.' _

* * *

Pegasus opened his eyes slowly, blinking away the haze. He stood over a large bed. The bed had a draping canopy, the color of fine wine. The window stood open, and sunlight streamed in accompanied by a slight breeze. Something felt…wrong. A sense of sadness and disease filled the room. He turned his head, gasping in surprise to see his wife, Cecilia…But his face dropped as he took in her pale, sallow face. The hollow cheeks. Her frail hands, crossed formally over her torso. An image he'd hoped never to see again.

Her breathing was painfully shallow and came so slowly, it was hard to tell whether she breathed at all. The sun, rather then brighten her, made her look even paler, weaker, less _substantial_ even. Her skin almost seemed translucent in the golden-yellow rays. Like she was already fading away from him.

"Cecilia!" He cried, leaping forward and grasping her hands. He held them to his face, wanting more then anything to see her open her eyes. But even as he did, the scene faded to reveal a dismal church. He stood just inside the door, but no sooner did he recognize the scene from his past then he sprinted to the front where people, all dressed in black, lined in a procession. Outside, the weather was now grey, the clouds sinking lower until they finally released the droplets of rain. Tears for the woman in the casket.

"Cecilia…" he whispered as he gazed into the white casket, having pushed past the groups of people, some crying, most staring solemn and blank. He stroked gently her deathly pale face, touching her golden curls. She was dressed in a deep purple dress, one of his favorites. He wished she could smile, laugh once again as they sat in the park and talked. At the same time, he knew it could never be. His insides died all over again, his dreams were crushed.

Once more, the scene faded away, though Pegasus tried to reach out, to make it stop. But when he found himself again, he was in a graveyard. Weak twilight filtered through a patchwork of wispy white clouds. A breeze fluttered fallen leaves on the ground. He knelt before a simple, solitary tombstone. He gazed forlornly at the words printed there, brushing his fingers over them and feeling all the grooves in the letters of his love's name, and he felt tears slip down his cheeks…he felt his heart break, something he knew should never have happened again, crumbling at the loss. For his life had lost all that was dear to it.

Such was the nature of the Penalty Game.

* * *

Ok, I want to see if any of you can guess **which** two cards Bakura used to get rid of the guards. One is a Trap, one is a Spell, but they're real cards and if you think about the descriptions, it's not very hard. You don't have to, I'm just curious how many would know! Think of it as a little contest. ;)

Tell me if I made any mistakes please! I try to catch all of them, but as some of you know, I sometimes miss things!

And PLEASE REVIEW! This chapter is an example of how fast I write when I knwo people are reading and liking it. Reviews get me writing faster!


	9. Chapter 9: Meet the Pharaoh

Alright, here's a chapter for you to read whilst I go on vacation! Anyways, hope you enjoy it. I have taken into account that it's been rather easy for Bakura so far. I'm going to do my best to remedy that in future chapters but...bear with me. I'm not exactly professional, you know! Anyhoo, for anyone who cares, the cards were Trap Hole and Chain Energy.

Disclaimer: In my dreams I own Yu-Gi-Oh. In real life, I own...um, well I own my computer --.

* * *

The Millennium Eye gleamed in Ryou's hand. It still had streaks of rusty red dried across its golden surface. Ryou tossed it up into the air, and let it fall back into his hand rhythmically. It was actually quite heavy, to his surprise, despite it's size. Ryou guessed that it must have been that what it lacked in circumference and area, it made up in its density.

Ryou's annoying spirit, Bakura, was currently resting within the contours of his mind, and the _other_ annoying spirit, whose name Ryou hadn't learned, was pacing restlessly through the Puzzle. Ryou didn't care for the Puzzle spirit, but on the other hand he didn't intend to let Bakura sleep much longer.

He had complaints and questions that he wanted the Spirit to listen to…just as soon as he was ready to bring it up. But first, he wanted to take a shower. Stealing the Eye had smeared blood on Ryou's hands and, though he'd washed it off as soon as he'd come back to the Hotel, he still felt, well, not quite _clean_. And Bakura had succeeded in tangling Ryou's hair in the trees they'd used for cover at Industrial Illusions during the escape.

Ryou frowned, thinking about how after Bakura had gone and gotten leaves and branches tangled into his long, white hair at least twice, he'd then yelled at him thoroughly for having such an inconvenience. Ryou had, of course, just yelled back, telling him it was his own clumsy fault for not being more careful.

It had been pleasantly surprising that Bakura had been quite so graceless and, well, downright kluzty. So far Bakura had put up an appearance of lithe eloquence that was, frankly, disturbing when around him, so realizing he was capable of human carelessness was refreshing. But Ryou regretted having said all that out loud. The headache he'd been given still hadn't quite worn off.

He set the Eye, Ring, and Puzzle side by side on the wooden dresser. Then, with a last glance towards the Items, he went into the attached bathroom.

Ten minutes later, he was sitting cross-legged on the uncomfortable bed, examining the multiple tools that Bakura had used during their break-in of Pegasus' building. He wore a pair of comfortable green lounge pants that he'd packed with the rest of his clothes. His shirt, a loose black tank top, sat crumpled on the floor a few feet away where he'd dropped it before going to get in the shower. He scratched his forearm, glancing sideways at the pale scars tracing it from elbow to just after his wrist, and fading onto the back of his hand. He bit his lip…these scars; a permanent reminder of those he'd lost. The scars that fueled his nightmares, giving him unease every time he laid eyes on them. On more then one occasion he'd considered tattooing over them, but it seemed wrong to cover up all that was left tying him to his mother. And sister. But he shook all these thoughts away, as he did so often, never resting on the topic for more then a fleeting moment. He refused to let his past torment him. Refused to _obsess_ over that which was long behind him.

He looked up. The TV was turned on and according to the late-night news, Pegasus was in stable condition at the nearest hospital. The woman on-screen had a grave look on her face, and was standing outside what was apparently the hospital Pegasus was located at. She made a small gesture and said, "We'll now go to the doctor who's been taking care of Mr. Pegasus."

The doctor was thin, bald, and had squinty eyes. The doctor first gave the basic rundown of Pegasus' state of health. It was stable. He went on to explain how his "condition" was "unexplained" but they thought he'd had a serious stroke, which had put him into a coma. Of course they hadn't explained how he'd lost an _eye_ to a stroke. Ryou tuned out, flipping the volume down so it was just background noise, and started reexamining the lock-picking set.

He opened the slim black box that he'd watched Bakura take out earlier, looking at the assortment of precisely bent bars and rods. There were also a small bundle of straight ones that were an easily bendable metal, along with two other bars, one a rectangular prism, the other a spherical prism. Ryou assumed that they were to form the straight bars into custom lock-picks.

Curious, he took a decent looking pick over to the bathroom. He leaned inside the door, locking it and then closing the door. He knelt down and slipped the small silver bar into the hole on the handle. It was a relatively simple lock, and Ryou guessed that it shouldn't be hard to open. But it took him almost six minutes to get the right pick and jiggle it around in the brass knob until he heard a promising shift. He stood up and twisted the handle. He was rewarded with a now unlocked bathroom door…but still, Bakura had done a much more complicated lock in a matter of moments. So Ryou shrugged, putting all the picks in their designated places and snapping the case closed.

"Oh well. Who needs to pick locks when we have these amazing little things called _keys._" He muttered sarcastically as he moved back to the bed and stuffed the tools that were spread out across the sheet into Bakura's black bag. First the lock-pick set, then the battery box, then the mechanical screwdriver, plus a number of other tools that they hadn't needed, including a manualscrewdriver, a small crow bar, and a double-edged knife.

Just as he was stuffing the last of the multi-colored wires into the small side pocket, he felt a brush, just the barest hint of contact, on his left shoulder. It lingered slightly, tracing down the length of another of Ryou's tattoos; a blue, black, and green Chinese dragon that appeared to be clawing it's way up Ryou's back. A voice echoed in the corridors of Ryou's mind, even as he felt a cold breath on the back of his neck.

'_But what fun is that, Host, using a key? What about breaking into Industrial Illusions? We didn't have a key then…Speak honestly. You liked our little excursion this evening, didn't you?' _

Ryou's arm whipped around, his elbow snapping out and colliding with the jaw of Bakura who had been leaning over from his spot just to the side, so close that their hair was brushing. Then he scrambled off the bed, standing a few feet from the Spirit. He tensed, holding himself so that he was ready to defend if Bakura retaliated. But Bakura just touched his jaw carefully, smiling slightly. Then he sat down on the bed where Ryou had been just before.

"You are either very brave…or very stupid. I've never been struck by a mortal other then you." He said softly, eyes following Ryou's movements.

Ryou was panting slightly, a result of the surprise. He glared hard, staring down Bakura as best he could. "Two words." He spit out through clenched teeth. "Personal. Space."

Ryou was taken aback as Bakura laughed out loud. That hadn't been the reaction he expected at all.

"Are you aphenphosmphobic?" Bakura smirked, brushing his hair away from his crimson eyes.

"Am I…_What?_" Ryou raised an eyebrow.

"A-Phen-Phos-M-Phobic." Bakura pronounced each syllable precisely, as thought speaking to one who was mentally handicapped, still smirking in that annoying way of his. "It means the irrational fear of being touched. The fear of human contact." He stood up, stepping towards Ryou until they were less then half a foot apart. "So are you?"

Ryou pulled back, fidgeting slightly, and moving away from Bakura again uncomfortably. He used the excuse of turning off the TV so that his back was turned to the Spirit and he didn't have to watch as Bakura smiled, knowing he'd won this encounter with his Host.

Ryou decided to strike back and said slyly, "I don't know why you've found getting all these Items so difficult, Bakura. It's been, what, a few weeks, if that…and we already have three. I thought you said you've been trying to get these things for 3000 years." The words he left unsaid were, you wouldn't be this close without me, I'm the only reason you've made it this far…and he knew that Bakura knew it.

"It isn't that simple." Bakura said though, not acknowledging the implied insult, standing casually in the middle of the room to Ryou's increased annoyance. His attempted verbal jousting had been spurned prematurely, and he frowned as Bakura said, "None of the Ring's previous owners have been quite so…agreeable…as you. They've made efforts to stop me, or have had their own greedy desires to attend to using the Powers of my Ring." He paused, thinking. "The other Item's owners were more cautious with their possessions as well. We're making very good progress. At this rate, we should have them all within the next month or perhaps even less."

"Assuming nothing goes wrong." Ryou suggested.

"Nothing will go wrong." Bakura corrected confidently, almost to himself. Then he walked back over to the desk, touching the three Items possessively. They were his. And though it bothered him that Ryou was correct, it _was_ the closest he'd ever been to accomplishing his purpose. His eyes strayed back to where Ryou stood by the television.

"Why do you mark yourself, Yadonushi?" Bakura asked, moving back to the bed, laying back and looking relaxed.

Ryou looked over to him, puzzled. "Mark myself? What do you mean?"

"Your tattoos. Why do you get them?" Bakura's eyes rested on the tattoo on his Host's back, eyes tracing the intricate scales lining the dragon's body.

Ryou, back still to the other, touched the morbid yin-yang symbol on his neck. He could feel Bakura's piercing gaze on his back, and it made him feel awkward. Rather then give the Spirit the satisfaction of seeing his discomfort though, he just traced the tattoo again with his finger. Though he couldn't actually see it without a mirror, he knew it was there. A scar in its own sort of way.

"I guess…that they're just a way to express myself. It's like getting a haircut, or changing your style. Only, more permanent…I don't _mark_ myself though. You make it sound like I'm a cutter or something." He grimaced. Sometimes he did regret getting his tattoos. Especially after the first one. But it hadn't stopped him from getting two more. The one on his shoulder, and also the one on his neck had followed closely after the one on his ankle (a ring of barbed wire and rose thorns). Each had followed an especially difficult event in his life…perhaps he should get one after he finished helping Bakura achieve his ends. A twisted, overall cooler version of the Millennium Ring perhaps. The thought made him smile slightly, but the smile disappeared when Bakura started to speak again.

"It seems like a very foolish way to express yourself. You already have scars, Ryou. Why intentionally give yourself more?" He chastised mockingly.

"They aren't really _scars_." Ryou objected, denying what he himself had thought just a few moments earlier, and rubbing his neck self-consciously. "They're just–"

Bakura shook his head, interrupting with a smug look on his face. "They are scars Ryou. They're just a little more colorful." He tilted his head to the side, waiting for Ryou's reaction.

And it came. Ryou flashed the spirit a glare that had 'If Looks Could Kill' spelled all over it. "What does it matter to you?" he burst out. "You're just another dent in my life. One who finds enjoyment in dwelling on every bloody mistake I've ever made!" Ryou was now pacing in heated anger, his temper getting the better of him again. He walked in tight circles at the foot of the bed, hands clenching convulsively as though he were strangling something.

Bakura watched in amusement, appreciative of how he'd tugged on Ryou's nerves, and how the young teen overreacted. But, all good things had to come to an end, and it was now time to come back to more important matters.

"Baka," He snapped, causing Ryou to stop his furious pacing and angry muttering and pay attention. "Pay attention. We have plans to make. I know you haven't forgotten our goal so quickly. We were only just speaking of it."

"Oh, _right_. Before you got off subject. So, back to your little quest," Ryou sighed in exasperation, then, looking Bakura in the eye, he asked. "How did you ever land yourself on such a boring, pointless, goal?"

"_Boring_?" Bakura scoffed. "Typical of a mortal like you to think that a feat of such great magnitude is _boring._ You don't even know what they can do! Believe me, it is not for nothing that I work towards gathering the Items."

"Well, do you plan on telling me what happens when we do get them all, seeing as how _you_ said it would be within next month?" Ryou folded his arms over his chest pointedly.

"No."

Ryou sighed again, this time in irritation, biting back his sharp retort, knowing it would do no good. Instead he just muttered to himself, "You and that stupid Spirit in the Puzzle. Both want me to do something, but of course neither of you tell me why, just that I have to…I must have bad Karma or something, because no normal person deserves such crap."

Bakura sat up attentively, his eyes suddenly suspicious. "What did you say?" He swung his legs over the side of the bed, getting up again, and staring down his Host.

Ryou gave him a what's-your-problem type of look. "Nothing that would matter to you."

Bakura suddenly closed the distance between them. In a few long strides that Ryou barely saw, he was right beside him. His hand dug into Ryou's shoulder, and he forced the surprised teen against the wall beside the television. He hit with a thud, crying out in shock.

"Ow! What is your problem!" Ryou grasped Bakura's wrist with his left hand, struggling to force him away.

"You spoke to the Pharaoh?" Bakura growled lowly, his breath hot on Ryou's face.

Ryou pushed against the Spirit's arm, but his hand was clamped on his shoulder like iron. Ryou winced again, instinctively trying to shy away from the pain, but he was held tight against the wall.

"Yeah, so what!" Ryou let go of Bakura's arm, abruptly shifting to the offensive. He flung his fist forward with as much strength as he could muster. He could only take so much from the Spirit, and he was at his breaking point. But Bakura was prepared for the blow and he caught it by Ryou's wrist. He pinned his arm to the wall, squeezing until Ryou almost cried out loud in pain. Instead, he hissed through clenched teeth.

Bakura's eyes bore into Ryou's angrily. "_What_ did he say to you?"

"Nothing, nothing. Why do you even care?" Ryou said defiantly.

"You're _lying_, Ryou. I want to know what he said to you."

"Ok, ok. Fine! He just said that I should stop helping you. He told me that if you got the Items, it would be really bad, or something. I don't know, I yelled at him before he told me anything important."

"What did you say to him? Did you agree with him?" Bakura interrogated, his hands tightened.

"No! I told him I had no reason to help him, or not help you. I don't even remember what I said, really, and if I had agreed with him would I still be working with you?" Ryou answered flusteredly, but still managing to be slightly snide.

"Would you?" his eyes narrowed. He released Ryou's wrist and shoulder, but he wasn't finished punishing Ryou yet. He punched him hard in the stomach, causing Ryou to double over, breathlessly.

He looked up, one eye closed against the pain. "What was that for!" he said, his voice weak.

"I expect you to tell me when you speak with other people. I don't care who, or when, or what the circumstances of the meeting are. I want to know." Bakura snarled, preparing to punch Ryou again. But, just before he struck out, an semi-tangible figure formed in front of the teen to both Ryou and Bakura's shock. Bakura's eyes widened, while Ryou slid to the floor against the wall, holding his stomach and looking weak.

"You should treat your Host better, Bakura."

Bakura took a step back from the Pharaoh, his eyes cold. "Don't tell me how to handle what is mine. This is not your concern."

The Pharaoh, who was returning Bakura's icy gaze without hesitation, returned, "Actually, I believe it _is_. He's my Host now too, as much as I wish he weren't. I won't let you injure him."

Bakura laughed scornfully. "Honestly. You are weak, Pharaoh. Why don't you go back into your puzzle? Let me deal with my Ryou." Bakura gestured to the Puzzle, gleaming dimly on the table beside the Ring and Eye.

The Pharaoh, glared up at Bakura, not denying that he was weaker then him at this particular moment, but refusing to be put down so easily. "He is not yours, Thief. He is a human, and he belongs to no one. Least of all_ you._"

Ryou looked up at each of the Spirits from his place on the floor. At this moment, he hated both of them more then he'd ever hated anyone. More then he hated his father. More then the many people who'd picked on him, bullied him, throughout his life. What right did these two dead Spirit's have to barge into his life like this! What right did they have to tell him what he would and wouldn't do? They'd had lives, which they'd obviously screwed up themselves. Why did they have to come and screw up his life as well?

"You have no authority anymore, _Yami_. You cannot tell me what does or doesn't belong to me. Ryou is my Host, and that won't change despite your inconvenient arrival here. I don't care if you consider him to be your Host as well, because I have complete control over him." Bakura declared. His eyes flashed. "You can't stop what is destined to be."

Ryou watched this exchange, feeling angry still, but insignificant at the same time. His pain was wearing away, but what could he do. How could he take charge…because even as Bakura said the words, Ryou recognized the truth in them. Bakura _could_ take over whenever he wanted, despite Ryou's arguments and opinions. No matter what he did, he could seem to gain control again.

"Bakura…can you not see that what you are doing is wrong? Why do you want this! You had no right to drag Ryou into your plans. You haven't even told him what will happen. He would never help you if he knew."

"Perhaps, but fortunately for me, he doesn't have much of a choice. Now leave!" A beam of black and white light shot out of the Ring, hitting Yami. Yami held off the light with his hands. His hair whipped around his face, and the light made a sound like rushing water. But he didn't appear to be effected at first. He shook his head, pushing the Shadow Magic back and said sadly, "He'll know. He'll find out eventually, and then you will fail." Then he let the light come forward, twisting around him before it faded. With the fading of the light from Bakura's Ring, Yami also faded. He seemed to grow frail, and after seconds, he was gone.

Bakura was breathing heavily, whether from the mental exertion of getting rid of the Pharaoh or from Yami's dooming prophecy, Ryou didn't know. He looked pleased, that he'd gotten rid of the uninvited Spirit though.

"You can be such a fag, Bakura." Ryou accused, shaking his head, and standing up on shaking legs. He still looked slightly faint, and was holding his stomach carefully.

"Well, you're absolutely weak. I barely touched you, Ryou. I guess you should be grateful that that Ra-cursed Pharaoh showed up when he did. Otherwise, you'd be in a considerably more painful situation." He looked out the window at the rising sun. They'd been up all night. "You need to buy a ticket to Egypt as soon as possible. I know you'd love to stay here, rather then continue our _boring_ quest, but we have to move on to the next Items."

Ryou sat down on the bed tiredly. "And what are the next Items?" He asked.

"I'm not sure, but Pegasus said that Egypt would be the first place to look. I don't believe he was mistaken, so that's where we're going."

Ryou hesitated, but then asked carefully to avoid being hit again, "Why should I keep helping you, Bakura?" Before Bakura could answer, he continued. "Yami obviously thinks that what you're doing is going to be very bad…and honestly it's kind of breaking my bank account. I don't have an unlimited supply of money. I mean, I can't afford to just fly wherever the next Item is! I want to know why I'm doing this for you!"

"Money isn't an issue, so don't concern yourself with it." Bakura said, "And you are helping me whether you want to or not. I don't know why I have to keep telling you that. Just do as I say. You'll be better off that way, Yadonushi." He sighed. "You don't need to know why I want the Items. You'll understand when the time comes. Now get some rest…I can't afford to be working with a exhausted Host. Get that flight as soon as possible."

He faded away.

Ryou flopped back onto the bed. He concentrated on breathing regularly and on the subsiding pain. Then he began tracing the patters of plaster on the ceiling of the Hotel. Anything to keep his mind of the confusing encounter with the two Spirits.

Finally he drifted into a fitful sleep, his mind trapped in his memories and problems as past and present collided in the form of nightmares. He dreamed of his sister, he heard her calling him but no matter how hard he searched he couldn't find her. He dreamed of his father, looking at him with such disappointment that he felt like his heart was being wrenched out. And he dreamed of Bakura…he dreamed that Bakura was trapped in a burning city. Hundreds of people screamed, their cries echoing in Ryou's mind. In the midst of them all, he saw a young Bakura shivering, scared, and alone. But somewhere in his subconscious he knew that all he was seeing was a twisted version of his own past.

It was just an illusion, formed out of his own memories and imagination that made the nightmare seem so real. Wasn't it? Or were he and the Spirit connected in more ways then he'd ever imagined.

* * *

OK! I JUST WANT TO SAY **THANK YOU** TO ALL MY REVIEWERS! You're all amazing, and I'm so glad that people are enjoying the story. And, though I never want to ask too much, I'd absolutely LOVE IT you reviewed so that I know if this chapter was good or if it was a flump. THANKS!

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	10. Chapter 10: Spirit Conversations

Sorry about the long break between updates, but it's a long chapter so..! For this chapter, there is a flashback, between the dividers. Not too hard to figure out. I name Ryou's parents because saying "His Father" and "His mother" was getting old. It's Sean and Rachel. There you go...read on.

* * *

Ryou woke up slowly. It was late. He glanced at the Hotel's small clock, realizing it was well into the afternoon. Yes, the time zones were definitely catching up to him. Not to mention his late nights stealing, or rather, watching as his body stole. It really wasn't fair that he had no part of the actual crime, but his body still got worn down, and then he had to suffer the aftermath. And in just another day he'd be off once again. To Egypt this time. He hadn't been informed which Items were there because, he suspected, Bakura didn't know. They were just going off the wild guess of a man who lived in his own games. More airports, more burned cash, more flying. Lucky him.

He shoved his face into the musty pillow, trying to fall back to sleep. He wasn't the earliest riser anyways, but he generally managed to get up at a semi-decent hour of the day. Now that it was almost, he glanced up again, 3:30, he had no will to drag himself out of bed. In fact, he was surprised Bakura had _let_ him sleep this long. But then, maybe he was just as tired as Ryou. Did Spirit's get truly tired? Or were they just…mentally exhausted. Like one might be after a long test in school. Ryou flipped over onto his back, gazing unfocused at the ceiling. Ugh, school. He'd probably fail out of 11th grade. Then he'd have to go back and do it again.

He sighed, realizing that he really didn't care. His father would. No doubt, he'd be chewed out for hours, and then put in summer schools, online schools, even a private school. Every school except _public_ because he wasn't capable of accomplishing anything there. At least that's what his dad said. "No discipline". If his life had been up to his father, he would have been privately tutored, and put in the best available private school since Elementary. Something about the advanced educational experience and superior atmosphere. He remembered the arguments when it came to Ryou's education. Most had been little tiffs. Arguments that ended before they began. Others had been worse, escalating past the topic of School.

* * *

"_I'm not going to one of your bloody schools! I'm going to go to Weston Middle school just like every other normal teenager in this neighborhood." _Ryou'd yelled to a extremely flustered and angry Sean Bakura. This had been when he was turning 14, ninth grade, just a few years back. His father's face had been livid. He was determined to give his son, his last remaining family, the best. Whether he wanted it or not. That included the best education. Ryou had been absolutely determined to thwart his father's attempts at putting him in one of the schools he was suggesting. His hands had been balled in fists, nails biting the skin. He'd wanted to hit Sean on more then one occasion, and today he was closer then most times.

"_Ry, you don't have a choice. You can't seem to stay in any of the public schools I've allowed you to attend. You've been expelled twice Ryou, for things that you should never have gotten into. You don't pay attention to your schoolwork at all. Your friends are influencing that, I'm sure."_

"_Well isn't that my problem? It's got nothing to do with the stupid schools! Being in some fancy prison isn't going to make a difference for me. It's not your business what I do or not during school."_

Ryou's father had been pacing by this point, something he did when he was under a lot of pressure. The man had no tact when it came to dealing with his son. He didn't know how to control him. Didn't know how to assert his own authority as his legal guardian. Maybe that was why he'd eventually given up. When Ryou had started moving into his own apartments, looking after himself, and cutting the connections between he and Sean…he'd had no say in the matter. _"Ryou, listen." _Sean said, flustered, trying to smooth things down._ "I know you don't like the Private schools. But St. Austell is different! I promise, it will be better for you. You can get the education you need to have a successful future there. The teachers–" _

"_Are exactly the same as teachers everywhere else." _Ryou interrupted_ "Teachers don't like me, dad. That isn't going to change because I'm wearing a uniform and have a dad willing to pay insane amounts of money for me to attend some school with a nice title and some awards! It's not even worth it, why can't you see that?"_

"_Because it _is_ worth it. You can start over and if you work hard and stay out of trouble, then you'll make something of yourself."_

"_Oh please, dad. Don't give me the success speech. Has it occurred to you that I might like how I am?"_

Sean had paused at this point, turning away. Then he'd rubbed his forehead, massaging his temples, and sat down on a chair in the corner. They'd been at their apartment in Cornwall, England at the time Ryou remembered. His father had been home for two weeks, taking a break from an excavation site in Brazil.

_"Ryou, is this because you miss your mother and sister? Is that why you've changed so much?"_

Ryou had flinched, taking a step back. The question took him off guard. _"Don't talk about them. Ever."_

"_Refusing to acknowledge them isn't going to make things better. Before the fire, you were never like this! You were so happy and loving." _Sean had insisted, seeing that he was closer to understanding then before. _"Why can't you accept it, and put it behind you? Then you can move on."_

"_Shut up! I don't want to talk about this. Especially not with you! You weren't there, dad. You weren't even there." _Ryou's voice had been shaking slightly, his eyes hard and accusing as he yelled at his dad. Then quietly he said,_ "You didn't see it. You didn't hear them screaming, knowing that there was nothing…"_ He took a breath _"Nothing you could do. Knowing that even as you sat there, helpless, your best friends, your own _mother and sister_ were inside. Dying." _

Sean flinched as Ryou spat the words through clenched teeth. _"I know that that must have been the most painful experience. It would be for anyone. I loved your mother and sister Ryou. More then anything. I miss them too."_

"_Then why were you never there? Where were you, if you cared so much? Let me tell you where. You were all over the world, discovering all your little tombs and ancient junk. You were too busy to spend time with the family." _Ryou'd turned away, towards his room. Only to be stopped by his father as he faintly called.

"_Ryou…"_

He'd flipped around, his words venomous. _"You know, sometimes I wish that you could have been the one stuck in that building while it burned. It isn't fair that _they_ had to die when they were the ones who actually cared."_ Then he'd stalked off to his room, slamming the door loudly. His father never brought up Amane and Ryou's mother again.

* * *

Ryou sighed. He regretted telling his father that. He'd never apologized though because it was true. More then anything he wished that Amane and his mother, Rachel, had never died. It wasn't fair. He sucked in a deep breath, holding it. Then he forced himself to sit up. He massaged his neck, roughly rubbing out the stiff muscles and knots.

Despite the fact he'd gotten plenty of sleep, more then ten hours, he still felt tired. He knew it was because of the nightmares. Their vibrant colors, and dredged up memories wouldn't let his mind rest. Sleep clung to his eyes, and made his limbs feel like rocks. His head ached. He was getting used to having a constant headache, though. Whether it was sharp piercing pain, or pounding throbs, his mind couldn't escape the constant torture. The headache wouldn't bother him so bad except that he knew exactly _why _he was suffering from these headaches. After all, the human mind wasn't intended to house three different consciousnesses. All using the same organ to function, think, and analyze situations according to their own personal perspective. Painkillers didn't help either. They just made him feel groggy without removing the factor of pain from the equation.

Slowly, one miniscule movement at a time, he dragged himself up and into the bathroom. It was a little bit late to be getting ready for the day, but better late then never. He took a look at himself, taking in the dark rims under his eyes and his ruffled hair. He scratched his head again sleepily, yawning widely, and grabbing blindly for his brush. Finally he had his rat's nest hair tamed to his usual sharp and, to anyone who didn't know it to be mostly natural, rebellious hairstyle. With another, less obvious, yawn, he reached for his earrings, lying carelessly on the Hotel room's connected bathroom counter.

He put on his usual silver rings, hooking the backs habitually. Then, rather then use the second set he had lying beside the first, he grabbed one crystal earring, and put it in the second hole above the silver ring on his right ear. The other side he left with its sole earring. Though he'd gotten both sides pierced twice to be symmetrical, he rarely put in two complete sets. Generally he opted to go with two on one side, one on the other, as he did today.

He slouched, still tired, back into the main room. He tracked down a shirt, a navy blue tee, and put on a pair of knee length jean shorts. Then he grabbed his recently acquired watch, adjusting it around his wrist. Last he slipped the Millennium Puzzle and Ring over his head, and dropped the Eye into his pocket. Bakura would probably murder him if he left anywhere without the Items. Or maybe he'd just take over, permanently.

Ryou curiously probed the dim area of his mind; the place that Bakura mostly inhabited when he was in the Ring, or directly in Ryou's consciousness. He wondered what exactly was causing the Spirit to be so absent. Oh well, the longer he stayed out of the way, the better. That brought something else to his attention though. A curiosity that had been nagging at him through the night. Just _why_ did Bakura want the Items?

Ryou's moral compass wasn't exactly due north, but still…he knew that whatever Bakura was planning wouldn't be for the good of mankind. Just the opposite, most likely. He shifted, standing awkwardly in the middle of the room as he thought. He didn't really want to admit it, and never would as long as the Spirit was around, but he was beginning to feel uncomfortable about the whole situation. He didn't want to help if it was going to cause some catastrophe, though he doubted that even a bunch of ancient Egyptian gold was capable of causing so much damage. He was probably paranoid, but something was itching at his nerves.

Bakura was planning something, and Ryou would bet it had something to do with the Shadow Powers Bakura had mentioned. Getting mixed up with this had been a bad idea. The thoughts struck Ryou, coming faster and faster as each sank in. Suddenly he felt used. It was like a wave crashing down on him and all the frustration and anger flooded his mind. He was just the tool. How he _hated_ not having control over his life. But what was he now? In control? Hardly. He was Bakura's _tool_, to be used however the Spirit wished. He never should have let this happen. He should have tossed the Ring out as soon as Sean gave it to him. He'd entered this with a false sense of security. Despite the pain that Bakura inflicted on him, and the numerous times he was reminded that he wasn't doing this because he wanted to, he'd still felt like a portion of the situation was under him. Now he realized that it wasn't, that it never had been, and that he was way in over his head.

Ryou put a hand on the desk to steady himself. His headache all of a sudden felt much stronger.

But was it too late to try and turn around? Bakura really wasn't the type who would accept a change of heart and let him walk away. He'd made _that _much clear. Besides, he was probably just letting his imagination run wild. The Spirit was a collector of sorts. He'd never finished in his life before, and had stayed to get what he wanted. That was it. Ryou nodded, accepting his own explanations and shaking off all the doubts. He had to stick to his agreement to help Bakura. He could still handle this. There was no way he was being used…this was all because he'd _chosen_ it. And he would finish collecting the Items. No backing out.

Now, what was Ryou's agenda for today? Oh yeah, buying an airline ticket to Egypt. He growled, his irrational uncertainties dissolving, and went over to the phone. He flipped open the accompanying phone directory, skimming the following pages with his eyes. As he scrolled down the list of restaurants, medical services, and other places located in Florida (everything _except_ the airport of course), he thought about his destination. Of all the places to go, why Egypt? What was its significance that would lead Pegasus to advice them to search there? Obviously, because it was the place the Items were formed. But there had to be more then that, didn't there? After all, it seemed that many of the Items had already been removed from Egypt. Why go back to the place of their origin? _The place they least likely remain. _Ryou thought irritatedly.

But where else would they look? They had _known_ where the two they'd managed to get had been. Simple. But the last four, well, they were more elusive it seemed. He supposed that Egypt was their best bet, even if only to find where the Items had gotten to over the years.

He sighed, pausing in his search for the Airport's number. He really didn't _want_ to go to Egypt. Though he knew that it was probably just as civilized as Florida, at least in Cairo, the only image he could conjure at the thought of "Egypt" was of the Pyramids, camels, and little shops spread out in a bazaar where people in cotton neutrals bartered for their own personal needs. A dirty place where beggars and thieves thrived. Somehow he thought that his history lessons on the Ancient Civilizations were having an effect on his perception of the country.

This was quickly confirmed as a voice as irritated as Ryou felt spoke up. _'That would be Egypt in my time, fool. Haven't you seen any pictures of _modern_ day Egypt?'_

Ryou rolled his eyes. _'So the mighty Spirit awakens. What's kept you from annoying me thus far this morning?' _

'_Don't push your luck. I've just been thinking.' _Bakura said. Ryou couldn't help but look around his empty hotel room as Bakura spoke. He still hadn't quite gotten over having conversations with someone whom he, as a general rule, couldn't see, but only feel.

'_About…' _Ryou prompted, hoping to get a few more answers to the mysteries surrounding the purpose for which Bakura wanted the Items.

'_About the Items we have yet to acquire. I was thinking of ways to retrieve them.'_ Bakura replied calmly. Not helpful to answering Ryou's questions at all.

'_Retrieve?_' Ryou repeated incredulously, his voice slightly amused. '_You make it sound like a scavenger hunt or an errand that needs to be done. Is that what you call sending people into a dark dimension that nobody has ever heard of, doomed to remain there until you choose to release them? Which, I would assume from your ever pleasant personality, would never be likely to happen.'_

'_Not likely.'_ Bakura agreed.

Ryou continued, '_All so you can take their various pieces of metal. Not exactly the way I would have worded it.'_

_'Your explanation for what I do took much longer then just saying that I retrieve the Items from their original owners.'_ Bakura countered.

_'Sure. I was thinking about this too though. I had an idea…'_ Ryou was slightly hesitant. He had a good idea of what Bakura would think about his plan and wasn't exactly hopping to share it.

Bakura was immediately suspicious, sensing his Host's hesitation. '_What?'_

_'Well, I was thinking that maybe instead of just jumping the gun and sending the people with the Items into the Shadow Realm or giving them a Penalty Game or whatever, maybe we should try getting them to give us the Items, you know, willingly. We could try to bargain with them.'_ Ryou waited for Bakura's response tensely. It wasn't exactly guilt that made him bring up the suggestion, and the emotion itself wasn't very strong, but it was still there. He was beginning to feel bad for the people whose lives were being stripped of them. By him and his deranged Spirit.

'_Willingly? Ha! Don't make me laugh, Yadonushi. No owner of an Item would willingly give his or hers up. You may have not noticed it yet as it hasn't been very long, but the owners, over time, gain a certain attachment to their Items. They have difficulty even considering parting with them let alone actually giving them up._' Ryou considered this. Was he growing attached to the Ring? What about the Puzzle? '_Besides,_' Bakura continued, _'the Shadow Games are all part of the bargain, not to mention the experience! If you own an Item, you must be prepared for the Shadow Powers they hold, and the consequences thereof. Contenders and Challengers for the possession of the Items are a common thing. You could say that they come with the packaging. No, we will continue to gain them through force…Besides, it's much more fun that way.'_

'_But-'_

'_No!'_ Bakura countered Ryou's objection. A flash of heat, Bakura's anger Ryou assumed, rushed through his mind and he winced slightly. '_Don't argue with me. You will learn respect Ryou Bakura, or there will be consequences for you as well.'_

Ryou lifted the Ring from his chest to eye level, wondering if he shook it hard enough, the resident inside would be affected. He quickly tossed out this notion though, before said resident heard it and delivered the 'consequences' of his disrespect. He wished for a moment that there were a way he could distance himself from the Spirit. But he knew that wouldn't happen. Not until they got what Bakura wanted, and what Bakura wanted was the Items. Another reason to continue helping him then. He turned back to the phonebook, flipping through it quickly to distract himself from his problems, or rather, his Problem. Finally he found the number for the airport they'd come in through. The Orlando International.

Dialing in the number, he quickly made the necessary negotiations and arrangements until he secured himself a seat on the soonest plane to the Borg el Arab Airport in Egypt.

'_When is our flight?'_ Bakura asked impatiently.

'_Why don't you just read the times out of my mind?'_

Bakura hissed slightly_. 'If I could read everything out of your mind, I'd have no need of you except for your human form other then your for company, which is annoying at best.' _

'_Ooh, ouch. I'm stung that you would say that about me.'_

'_The flight?'_ Bakura prompted placing a hand on Ryou's shoulder as he suddenly appeared behind him. Ryou jumped, swearing loudly and automatically lunged away.

"You're so jumpy." Bakura said almost to himself with a frown, tilting his head to the side slightly. Then his eyes hardened again, narrowing. "Ryou, the flight?" he asked a third time, his voice letting Ryou know that he wanted an answer and his patience was dwindling.

"Oh, the earliest flight was tomorrow afternoon at 12:30." Ryou said.

"Really?" Bakura said. He picked up the alarm clock, it's red numbers burning a bright 4:20 pm at this point. "Then tomorrow, why don't you try getting up _before_ then." He focused his gaze on Ryou. Ryou stared back, struggling not to fidget or look away from the almost frighteningly intense stare of the Spirit.

Ryou said slowly, "Ok. I'll plan on it."

Bakura set the clock back down on the side table. He had a satisfied look on his face and Ryou couldn't help but ask why.

"Because," Bakura responded, "everything is going exactly as it should. And when I gain the Items…" He sighed and Ryou paid strict attention, only to be disappointed again as Bakura said with a cold smile, "Well you'll see when we get to that point, now won't you."

"Yeah, sure." Ryou said before flopping back onto the bed.

"Are you going to sit in your Hotel room for the rest of the day?" Bakura asked snidely.

"So what if I am?" Ryou shot back. Bakura just shrugged and, though there were plenty of vacant chairs in the room, elected to go and stand in the corner. His eyes were closed and Ryou assumed he was thinking about the great victory he'd achieve when he finally got his precious Items. Curious, he also closed his eyes, looking through his mind until he found the mental barriers Bakura had erected.

As before, they stood well above his head. He mentally circled them, looking for some weakness. And, of course, finding none. He sighed opening his eyes again to see Bakura was staring at him. His red eyes were completely blank as analyzed his Host, and his face betrayed no emotion. Ryou bit his lip, why did the Spirit have to be so good at keeping everything to himself? He could never read anything from him. Or why couldn't Ryou at least be good enough to bar the Spirit from his own mind?

Finally, after two unnerving minutes of being stared down, he cried, "_What_? Why are you staring at me like that?"

Bakura smiled again, showing his teeth, apparently pleased that he'd bothered Ryou. Then he said indifferently, "I was just weighing the chances of you and I being…connected in some way."

"Connected how?" Ryou said, worried.

"I was considering whether you might be a reincarnated version of myself…and whether that could be the reason why you were chosen to be the one in possession of the Millennium Ring." Bakura replied bluntly, surprising Ryou with his openness.

"Are you serious?" Ryou asked. Bakura just nodded, his eyes still trained on Ryou. "Ok, well there's an issue with your theory. If I'm a reincarnated version of you then how are you still here? I was under the impression that reincarnation was where the soul of one human was transferred into a new life after they die. But you didn't technically die. I mean, you did, but your soul didn't move on or anything."

"Perhaps a piece of my soul did." He paused, supposedly thinking. Then said with an air of impartial detachment, "Ryou, you have never experienced anything like the death I suffered. You never will. I will never be able to explain accurately how it felt. But one way to describe it would be that it felt like I was being _shredded_, body and soul. Torn apart. It was the worst pain that anyone could ever suffer. Worse then any mortal ailments, worse then any wound you could recieve." His face was turned towards the window now, overlooking the city. "I have always assumed that it was only the process of being put into the Ring and that it was only a mental, and not physical, pain. An illusion…but having met you, I wonder if the reason it felt like I was being ripped in two, is because I literally was. Part of my soul moved on. The other part was locked in the Item. And you are the reincarnated piece of my soul that was torn away as I died."

Ryou was silent. He couldn't help but notice how indifferent and cold Bakura was as he spoke of the pain he suffered while dying. He felt sympathetic for the Spirit, despite the mutual dislike between them. And, though he didn't want to imagine himself as a part of Bakura's soul that was lost, the story was such that he actually began considering his speculations. Could he really be a reincarnated piece of the Other's soul? Was that why the Ring had been given to him? Or was the whole ordeal just a massive coincidence. But Bakura had said that there were no coincidences. Only fate, or destiny, or something like that. Ryou didn't know if he believed any of it. He'd never been the religious type.

"Are…you sure? You really think you're right?" Ryou asked, hoping Bakura would say no.

"Yes. I think I am right. It fits, yadonushi. You wouldn't know, since I'm the first Spirit resident you've ever had, but our connection is much stronger then most. Much stronger then it _should_ be. Especially for the short time that we've been linked. None of my other Hosts have been like you. The connection between them and myself was weak and blurred. It was difficult to control them, to take over their body, even enter their mind. Some of them never even knew I was there. But you, I can take over your body with ease. It's not even an effort." Ryou frowned at this. "Your mind is almost completely open to me, though when you concentrate I can't enter. And our link is clear. Our mental conversations go through without any difficulty."

"Great." Ryou muttered. "Ok, so, maybe this whole idea you're suggesting has some good points. But…I mean, reincarnation? If I was the other half of a centuries old Spirit, wouldn't I know it? Wouldn't I feel, I don't know, incomplete or something? And wouldn't I remember at least some of my previous life?"

Bakura smirked. "Perhaps. Perhaps not. I wouldn't know."

Ryou grimaced at the idea of the Spirit being his other half. A piece of the puzzle he hadn't even known was missing. No he thought to himself. It's just an idea. There's no real evidence to back it up.

"I don't think so." Ryou said, shaking his head.

Bakura raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And why not?"

"I just don't think that it's a very realistic assumption."

Bakura closed his eyes and folded his arms over his chest, leaning on the wall. "This coming from the mortal who didn't believe in Spirits and Shadow Magic a couple weeks back. And yet here we are. Is reincarnation so unbelievable when placed beside those 'impossibilities'?"

Ryou looked away, gritting his teeth. "No. But I still think it's just an idea."

Suddenly Bakura began laughing, making Ryou flush heatedly. "Admit it fool! Your real issue is that you don't want to be connected to me in any way. No more then you must, in any case. And being the other half of my soul is just too much for you to accept." He smirked. "You're impossibly asinine, my Hikari."

"Asinine? I'm asinine?" Ryou shot a glare at the figure standing smugly across the room before sighing and leaning back on the bed once more. He'd been beat again, and he knew it. It seemed impossible to win any conversation or argument against the Other. "Well, I'm going to go back to sleep seeing as how you want me to be up early tomorrow."

"You just woke up."

"Yeah, so? I'm tired."

Bakura shook his head and faded, muttering something about 'inane mortals'.

Ryou sighed…he really was still exhausted despite his getting plenty of sleep the night before. It seemed that all the recent excitement was overtaxing his mind. All the information was overwhelming. Especially since most of it was hardly believable. Like Bakura's idea about reincarnation. Ryou frowned and flipped onto his side. Though he was tired, his mind wouldn't let him rest yet… Could he really be a reincarnated piece of Bakura's soul? It didn't seem possible. And Bakura was right again…he didn't want it to be real. He didn't want to be connected to the Spirit in any way. He just wanted his life back.

'_You mustn't listen to his lies, Ryou. He's just trying to break you.'_ Said a familiar voice.

Ryou pulled the pillow on the bed over his head as though it could block out the voices. _Sheesh_ he thought. _If I ever told anyone about this they'd say I was insane…maybe I am. After all, I'm hearing voices._

'_Ryou, please hear me out. You cannot let Bakura get inside your head like this. You aren't his to control.'_ The voice insisted.

'_Pharaoh. He was right. I am easy to control. He can take over whenever he wants, and there isn't anything I can do to stop him. Maybe he and I are…you know, the same.'_ Ryou said tiredly. He didn't have the energy to be angry with the Pharaoh, and he wasn't doing anything to annoy him besides being all supportive anyways.

'_That's what he wants. He wants you to think that there's nothing you can do. He thinks that he can control you, and it's working. You have to listen…I can help you, but you mustn't keep pushing me away like you have been.'_

_'Why should I listen to you? You're just like him.'_

'_No, that's just it. I'm not like him. I can tell you how to block him from your mind. Ryou, you must accept that if he finds out he'll be angry though.'_

Ryou was suddenly alert. Was the Pharaoh lying? '_You can teach me how to create mental barriers._' He asked, suspicious.

'_Of course. Will you listen to me?'_

A thought occurred to Ryou. '_Pharaoh, do you know what will happen when Bakura claims all seven Items? Do you know what he's planning?'_

He felt the mildest stream of disappointment and frustration through their link which, now that Ryou thought about it, was much weaker then his and Bakura's.

_'Unfortunately, no. Though I too am I Spirit from Egypt, I have no memory of my time there. I can't remember anything of my past or of Bakura. But I know he mustn't succeed. I may not remember, but I do know Bakura. He will not be planning anything good.'_

_'Well, I already knew that. But there isn't anything I can do. I have to keep helping him.'_ Ryou insisted.

'_We can argue about this later. But for now, I will teach you how to create a barrier into your mind._' The Pharaoh said.

'_How?'_ Ryou asked, wondering if he could through their simple connection.

_'I'll teach you in my Soul Room so that Bakura will not find out that I'm helping you.'_

'_Um…'_ Ryou said in a how-am-I-supposed-to-manage-that tone. To Ryou's surprise, the Pharaoh just laughed.

'_Relax and try to fall asleep.'_

_'Fall asleep! But I thought you were going to teach me how to build mental walls.'_ Ryou said, his patience with the so-called Pharaoh running thin. The Pharaoh laughed softly again. Ryou grumbled a bit, but grudgingly did his best to relax. Even as he did, he felt a tugging on his mind. Like his consciousness was being dragged from his body, but it wasn't painful like when Bakura ripped control of his body away. It was a gentle transition. Everything was dark, though he thought his eyes were open. The Pharaoh's voice entered his mind again…

_'Trust me, Hikari.'_

* * *

Ok, Review please. Let me know if I made any major mistakes. Critiques are welcome, but so are praises! j/k.


	11. Chapter 11: On The Road Again

**A/N:** GOMEN GOMEN! I'm SO sorry that this took so long! I hate that school takes so much time, but it, unfortunately, has to be my priority. I hope this chapter's length can somewhat make up for it's delay.

River Fox: If I _were_ (which i'm not) sick of you, I'd say something! anyways, I think a Therapy fic would be way fun, and I'll start brainstorming. Also, your question on Second Chances, Marik inferred that Bakura was 'millennias old' because 1) he's a spirit, and 2) he's in a millennium item which would mean that he is almost definitely (he is) from the same time as the Pharaoh and Marik knows that the Pharaoh is millennias old. Make sense? Btw, you can call me whatever is easiest for you, I really don't mind!

OK, read on!

* * *

Ryou woke to the sun shining on his face through the slit between the two-piece drapes that were hung by metal rings to a plastic bar over the sliding-glass door. The door itself led out to a small balcony that was barely large enough for one person to stand on. He sat up slowly, blinking sleep from his eyes vigorously. He shifted to look at the clock quickly. Was he up early enough?

Yes, the clock read just after seven. He frowned slightly, knowing that he'd be up and out of the country in just five hours. This was his life now, he supposed. Always on the move, barely three days in one spot. At this rate he'd have visited every place on his list-of-places-to-go-before-you-die within the next couple months.

He jumped up off the bed quickly, despite his negative thoughts, feeling rejuvenated. He should be, after all, he'd just gotten an _almost_ solid 24 hours of sleep. He didn't think he'd ever slept that long in his life. Knowing his dad, he would never have even been allowed to sleep so long, Sean being so obsessed with achieving, accomplishing, and just getting work done in general. He used to always tell him 'early to bed, early to rise', or 'the lazy man earns no bread' and other stupid words-to-live-by quotes.

Ryou stood at the bedside for a heartbeat, wondering whether he should start packing or get breakfast first. Deciding on breakfast first he started towards the bathroom to consult a mirror. He rubbed his scarred arm where the Millennium Ring had left a deep impression on the skin from sleeping on top of it. The Eye of Horus was distinctly visible on the marred skin, like it was watching him. He was surprised that he had even been able to sleep with the Items on. They couldn't have been comfortable with all their edges and sharp corners, but he hadn't even noticed.

Ryou stretched slightly as he walked, reaching his arms up and then twisting them behind him to work out the muscles. Pausing for a moment, he bent down, touching the ground and letting the fire of his protesting muscles rush through his hamstrings and calves, warming them. He even got down and did a few sit-ups, crunches, and some push-ups.

Then, feeling good about himself for his motivation, he brushed his fingers through his hair as he finished the distance between him and the bathroom. His hair was very tangled; the long locks hanging in mats. He did his best to work out the major snarls. He looked down at himself in his reflection, taking in his appearance. The navy blue tee he'd put on the day before was, like most of his dark clothing, in contrast with his skin. The shirt, with its scattered English logo in white and black, was one of his favorites. His knee-length shorts were comfy, but not sloppy looking. The golden Items hanging on around his neck looked slightly out of place, but there wasn't anything that could be done about that. He nodded, deciding he looked suitable for going out in public.

He stepped out of his room, ensuring that he had the key that would let him back in. Then he made his way down the hall – complete with flowery carpet and paintings of fruits and rural villages – and to the stairs. He would have taken the elevator, but it had a large sign to inform guests that it was 'Out of Order due to minor technical difficulties'.

He made his way out of the building and began walking down the street. An Egg and Bacon breakfast from McDonald's would satisfy his hunger, he decided when considering his options, and there'd be no need to waste time at a sit down restaurant like the Denny's and IHOP that were also lining the already busy Orlando street. It was about a ten-minute walk to the nearest McDonald's, its famous golden M acting like a giant spotlight, guiding Ryou towards it.

Upon reaching the red, yellow, and tan building he stood in a line that held four people, all waiting hungrily to order. They were mostly adults, and one teen, who were grabbing a bite to eat before a long day of work. A tall woman in a black pencil skirt and light gray, silk shirt eyed him with detached suspicious, probably wondering why he wasn't in school, before the short man behind the counter asked her what she wanted to order. Behind her stood two men in dirty shirts that were holding yellow hats that said Brad's Construction. They spoke in loud raucous voices that sounded especially disruptive in the early morning quiet of the fast food establishment about a football game they'd watched the night before.

Last was a teenager who looked to be one or two years older then him. He had greasy hair that was overgrown, hanging well past his ears (not that Ryou was one to judge). His lip was pierced, which was only slightly distracting from the teen's horrible complexion. Red splotches covered his face in concentrated areas. Ryouhad a moment of gratitude that he'd always had very healthy, clearn skin. The teen also had a typical I-hate-the-world look on his face and was leaning back on one foot, hands shoved in his pockets.

The line moved quickly and Ryou was soon at the front, looking up at the menu displayed above the counter. After a moment of scanning the available choices, he ordered a Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Biscuit and a large soda. The food was done quickly and, after filling his cup with Diet Mountain Dew, he took it over to a small table with two chairs that was under a window facing the East. The sun, rising ever higher into the sky, shone through it brightly. He sat down, turning his face so that he could survey the cars going past and let the sun warm his face.

Taking a bite of his biscuit, he chewed slowly thinking about his 'training session' with Bakura's apparent enemy, the Pharaoh.

Unlike when he'd been separated from his body after having Bakura take over, he'd awoken refreshed even though what Yami (he'd told him that calling him the Pharaoh all the time would get tedious, and to use his shorter name) referred to as his Soul had remained very much awake for most of the night, practicing defenses over and over again until he'd let his mind rest.

Bakura had only mentioned Soul rooms once, when he was threatening Ryou, and he hadn't known exactly what a Soul Room was. That was why Yami had first explained it to him when he entered his.

He' d explained that a Soul room was like a mirror of someone's Soul. It was a reflection of what lie in their hearts and minds, and even their personality was displayed. It could be described as a mental visualimage of a person's thoughts, memories, and state of mind. Only people with Millennium Items had access to their Soul Rooms, though every human, mortalor not, had one. The Shadow powers that the Items held split the person's body from mind and gave the owners the ability to search their consciousness and subconsciousness, walking through it and flipping through memories and etc. from its depths at will. It allowed them to pull into themselves, for example, like Ryou had done when he'd entered Yami's Soul room.

Going into his Soul room had been a shock. The Pharaoh's consciousness was insanely complex. Composed entirely of brown and occasionally gray bricks, it went farther then the eye could see. It reminded Ryou of a maze he'd seen in a book of puzzles his father had owned once. Corridors lined every possible inch of wall, and staircases traversed to great heights and descended deep into the room. And when you went on these staircases, they led to more staircases, and more corridors. Every few feet were doors. They covered the walls, the ceilings, and the floor. They were _everywhere_. They all looked exactly the same, metal with a doorknob. When you opened them, you would find: one, an empty room, two, a trap of some sort or another, or three, more doors and stairs.

Ane apparently, within the Pharaoh's Soul room, basic laws of physics didn't apply. One could stand on a staircase, and have his companion standing upside down a few feet away on a different set of stairs. You could step in one door and come out another on the opposite end of the area you were currently in or even the opposite end of the puzzle. And as far as Ryou could tell, it didn't have a limit. It just went on and on and on.

The Pharaoh had explained that the reason was because he had no memories aside from the ones he'd made when he first awoke. He knew his past tied into Egypt, but that was the extent of his knowledge. His purpose and the reason for his being trapped in the Puzzle were unknown to him. His past was completely lost, and even his own true name had been forgotten. In this way, his past and his thoughts and his memories and purpose were a mystery. A puzzle… A maze. So that's what his Soul room revealed itself as.

After he'd explained all this to Ryou he'd started to explain what Ryouhad come to learn. Mental barriers.

He explained that a mental barrier was merely a focused center of concentration, placed in front of whatever information you wanted guarded. You could bar your whole mind if you had the will and focus for it. It was difficult though, and it took practice. You couldn't let your concentration slip at all, or cracks and holes could appear, ultimately ruining your defense. Once a being learned it well enough, they could use the barriers without even thinking about it because it became so natural. It was habit for any wielder of an Item to always be on guard with mental barriers.

Ryou sighed, taking another bite of his breakfast and a long drink of his soda. He'd barely managed to keep the Pharaoh out of his immediate thoughts when he'd tried practicing the barriers. But in the end, he had successfully blocked him. Yami had been encouraging enough, ensuring him that it was going to be difficult at first.

Yami had also let Ryou practicing breaking _through _mental barriers, so that Bakura's mind, eventually, wouldn't be such a mystery to him. Maybe, if he practiced enough, he could figure out why Bakura wanted the Items before he was able to get them all.

Ryou finished his meal, dumping it in the disposals at the front of the restaurant and exiting.

As he walked back to the hotel, an unwelcome guest entered his mind with, 'Well aren't you in a good mood, Yadonushi.'

He sighed and muttered, "I was." Then, silently, 'You're very inconvenient, in case you didn't know.'

'And you think I care?'

'No. I was just informing you of your tendency to get on one's nerves.'

'Hmm, that's beside the point though. Are you ready to leave?' He asked, his voice holding an edge of impatience.

'The plane doesn't even leave till 12:30, and I don't have to be there until 11:00 or so. It's only 8:00 so I'm not particularly worried about it just yet.'

'That wasn't the answer to the question I asked.' He snapped coldly.

'And you couldn't _infer _the answer to your question from the answer that I gave you? No! I'm not ready!' Ryou said, all traces of his earlier good mood vanished.

The Spirit laughed softly, his voice echoing inside of Ryou's ears. 'Am I bothering my Hikari?'

Ryou frowned, sending a wave of skepticism and irritation at the Spirit, and taking the last few steps up to the hotel, going in quickly. He took the stairs to his room two at a time, suddenly wanting to be in his hotel room and away from other people, even though the one he really wanted to be away from was impossible to escape. As soon as he went in, he made himself busy by cleaning up his scattered clothes, and shoving them into his small duffel bag unceremoniously. He gathered up all of Bakura's tools, including the lock picking kit and multicolored wires that were on the counter top.

'One would think you were avoiding talking to me, the way you're keeping yourself so occupied and racing to clean this room. Especially since you have _so _much time before we need to go to the airport.' Bakura interrupted, causing Ryou to fumble the battery box slightly before regaining his composure.

"I just think I should be ready." He said out loud, quietly, but knowing the Spirit would hear, and shoving the deck of Duel Monsters cards Bakura had insisted be brought into a side pocket.

'You should be ready.' The Spirit repeated in agreement, but his words had a different meaning. 'The first two Items were simplicity itself when it came to taking them. I believe that the last four will prove to be much more elusive.'

'I thought that everything was going perfectly and 'according to plan'.' Ryou mocked.

Bakura hissed in his mind. 'So far it has. I think that the rest will be more of a challenge when it comes to claiming them though. Pegasus and that brat Yugi were hardly even worthy of their Items. They certainly weren't worth the time I wasted on them, except for the Items we gained. I'd wager that the rest of the owners will be more prepared.'

Ryou paused in his cleaning, playing with a stray strand of his hair as he thought about Bakura's argument. Then, curiously with a hint of characteristic sarcasm, he asked, 'Am I worthy of the Millennium Ring?'

There was a pause. Then, sounding amused and smug as ever, Bakura said. 'You _are_ my other half, fool. Of course you're worthy. The Item's are destined to come to you…to us.'

Ryou winced, immediately wishing he hadn't asked. Bakura's unexpected hypothesis from the day before immediately jumped to the forefront of his mind. _No, _he reassured himself, _just a guess. Not true._

Bakura smirked, 'I can feel your negativity towards that particular topic, Ryou. You must dislike my assumption very much to have reactions like that.'

"That's because it isn't _true._" Ryou growled, wanting to hit something but instead going into the bathroom to gather all his personal things and clean up a bit.

'So you say...' Bakura laughed.

'_You're right, Ryou. It isn't. Don't listen.' _A second, more encouraging voice said, slightly blurred coming through Ryou's second mental link. Apparently Bakura had access to that part of Ryou's mind as well though.

There was a stinging sensation like a jolt of electricity through the second, less prominent, link. Ryou shivered as it burned a trail through his thoughts. Bakura spoke harshly now, but not to Ryou. 'You aren't welcome Pharaoh. Stay within the confines of your Item where you belong.' He ordered coldly.

'_Ryou is as much my Host as yours. I'm welcome speak to him at any time I wish.' _Yami said, bristling with surprise at the interruption, the stinging electricity, and ages old enmity.

'Not as much, actually.' Bakura corrected angrily. 'He is mine only baka. You're only here because of my actions.'

'_And believe me when I say that I would rather be with my true Hikari, but that doesn't change the fact that Ryou isn't yours. I'm as much his yami as you. Did you never learn how to share?' _Said Yami sarcastically.

Ryou shook his head hard, having stood still as a statue for a long moment, distracted by their dispute. Listening to an argument about him while he was right there was unbelievably frustrating. The two Spirits, it seemed, had completely forgotten about him though.

'Do you think Ryou appreciates your inane encouragements and support? He isn't your weak Yugi. He doesn't need anything from you and your continued intrusions are becoming a nuisance.'

'_And what are you giving him that he needs? Punishments? Abuse? You think he appreciates those things?'_

'I give Ryou only what he deserves. If he deserves retribution, that is what he receives and he knows it.'

'_You are so ignorant! Ryou is a mortal, and he needs to be treated like a human being. Surely it isn't easy for him having no company save a sadistic creature like you. How do you think he feels, being dragged all over the world for your own evil purposes!'_

'I don't honestly care how Ryou feels.'

"Hey!" Ryou said loudly. Then, pushing his way into their mental conversation, he said 'Do I get a say in this?'

'It doesn't really concern you.' Bakura replied coolly.

'_Yes it does, it has everything to do with him! And he may speak if he wishes.' _Bakura hissed at that but let Ryou speak.

'Ok.' Ryou sighed, 'Let me get something straight. I don't like either of you. I want both of you _gone_. Out of my head, out of my life, gone. That's it. I don't care what I am to you two, because to me I'm just a person with a screwed life who got dragged into this by mistake and happens to have voices in his head. And honestly, if helping Bakura is what it takes to get rid of you both, that's what I'm going to do!

'And if you are going to argue about anything, especially me, don't do it when I can listen in because I don't want to hear it.'

There was a moment of silence where both yamis remained quiet, considering their Host's words.

Then Bakura said, smirking, his voice dripping with sarcasm, '_As _you wish, my Hikari.'

The Pharaoh merely receded without a word. Bakura remained present in Ryou's mind, but stayed quiet. He didn't pry through Ryou's thoughts, merely observed, for which Ryou was grateful. He'd had enough mental trespassing in his mind for one morning.

Ryou sighed, finished packing, then, for the second time that morning, left the room, key in hand. He dragged his few belongings down the stairs, coming into the lobby, and checked out. He paid in cash, using money from the stash that was a combination of his practically nonexistent college fund and his father's personal bank account. Of course he'd had to exchange it for United States currency before coming over here, but it hadn't been too hard. He never thought he'd be going through it so fast though. He'd already used a quarter of what he'd taken just on the hotel and the flight over here from Japan. He didn't worry too much though. If they ran out of money, well, he had the self-proclaimed best thief throughout the history of Egypt.

By this time it was still only 9:30, but he didn't feel up to walking the five miles to the airport with his bag. He waited at a bus stop instead. The bus was scheduled to arrive at 9:45, so he sat for fifteen minutes, imagining what kind of Shadow Games would earn him and Bakura the last of the Items. He twirled the Millennium Eye in his hands mechanically, chewing his bottom lip in boredom.

Finally the bus arrived and he got on.

The airport proved to be annoyingly crowded, but then when was the airport ever _not_ crowded. He sighed, holding his ticket, which he'd retrieved from a machine near the front of the terminal for those who had purchased their tickets via the Internet or, in this case, over the phone. He was now standing in the security line, getting his bag, which was small enough that it could be considered carry-on, checked. He'd passed through the metal detectors confidently; knowing he had no metal on him, now his bag was just passing through the x-ray.

A red light on the top of the x-ray began flashing wildly, and a high-pitched _beep, beep, beep _filled the area. Two security guards rushed over, strictly leading him over to a roped off section designated for those who had metal on them, or other items that were not allowed with them in their luggage. His bag was pulled off the conveyor belt, and Ryou looked at the screen for whatever could have caused the alarm to go off. His fists were clenched at this point, the knuckles white, and he gritted his teeth as he searched the screen.

Then he spotted it. In a small side pocket on the duffle bag, one he hadn't even ever opened, the x-ray revealed a small knife.

"_Bakura…_" Ryou muttered under his breath dangerously. _'YOU IDIOT! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!' _He screamed internally.

Only Bakura…only that _stupid_ Spirit would have been idiot enough to try and bring a knife into an airport _so_ obviously.

The security guards, one a thin spindly woman and the other a pasty man with black stubble covering his chin, came over to him, carrying his bag.

"Were you aware you had a knife in your carry-on, sir?" The man asked, holding up the small brown and silver weapon.

What was he supposed to say? _No, officer, I didn't. I'm sorry; my alter ego must have put that in there. I'll be sure to tell him off. No knives for the rest of the week… _Yeah. Right. "Yes." He said brusquely, refusing to meet the officer's gaze.

This time it was the woman who spoke. Her badge read Officer Andrea. "And why do you have this item with you?"

Ryou sighed, trying to look calm and confident when inside he was roiling with hot irritated anger with Bakura, and worry that all this mess was going to make him miss his flight. "Self defense?" He said sounding like it was the most obvious thing in the world. His English accent stuck out around all these Americans, and people were now staring at him.

"I'm sorry, young man, but there is a policy at this airport. Absolutely _no_ weapons at all; not even for self-defense. There could be serious penalties for your actions." The man said, taking the criminal interrogation feel of the situation a little bit far as he leaned in, hands on hips.

"Yes, and I'm _very _sorry. I wasn't aware of that, um, policy. You see, back in England I'm picked on quite a bit and so I'm in the habit of carrying some sort of self-defense. Just to protect myself, of course." Ryou lied as casually as he could. The officers looked at him, obviously stereotyping him by his appearance. Not exactly the type to be a bully-magnet. More the type who would be _doing _the bullying. Ryou frowned, thinking of a way out of this without more police investigation. "Keep the knife if you want. You can search my bag. There aren't any more knives, I promise." To Bakura he growled, _'Or at least there _better _not be.' _He got an amused smirk in response.

--

12:30 rolled along, and Ryou was seated in the uncomfortable seat closest to the window on the plane. His lies, though sketchy, and plenty of groveling had been enough to get him through the remaining security and lose the attentions of the two security guards. He sighed. Of course they'd checked his bag, and there'd been some questions concerning the Millennium Items hanging around his neck by the chords, especially the Ring with its dagger sharp tassels. But after all their precautions and security measures, he'd gotten through in time for his flight. He was finally off. It was almost a relief to get out of America, where he was very technically wanted for breaking and entering. His father would murder him if he ever found out. Luckily, no one had gotten a good enough look at him to file a search for him, or perhaps the Man-Eater bug attack had just traumatized all the guards too much to recall his appearance. Either way, chances were his father never would discover what _exactly_ he'd been doing in America. He was already hideously furious with Ryou for the whole incident when leaving _for_ America.

The plane rumbled as it rolled away from the terminal and onto the black paved runway. Ryou looked out the window as it picked up speed, moving faster and faster until with a tiny jolt they weren't on the ground anymore, but tilted upward. Flying.

He leaned back into the seat and rested his head against the side. He wasn't tired, not after his sleeping marathon, but he thought he'd close his eyes and relax anyways. What else was there to do during the long flight to France (where he would switch planes and _then_ fly to Egypt from there), except watch children's movies on the barely visible screens hung on the ceiling?

Ryou, thankfully, was alone with his thoughts for about two hours. Bakura was strangely absent, only just noticeable at the back of his mind. Maybe he was finally taking a hint and respecting Ryou's personal space, though Ryou doubted it.

During the flight, Ryou thought about things. He thought about his father, and what he was doing right then. Probably working on a dig in South Africa somewhere, not even thinking about his only son. He wondered about the Items, curious about what their different powers were. He was mostly curious about the Millennium Ring. It seemed like it was one of the better, more powerful, Items, but he may have been slightly biased. Regardless, so far they'd only delivered punishments to those with Item's that Bakura desired. Ryou assumed that all the Items could create and deal out Shadow Games, though. Did the individual Items have individual and unique powers? And why was the Puzzle the centerpiece of the Items...simply because it housed the spirit of the Pharaoh? Or did _it _have powers even greater then the rest? He'd ask Bakura about them later, he decided.

The Pharaoh having been brought up, Ryou also thought more about his 'lessons' with him and practiced defending his thoughts subtly so as not to notify Bakura. He even thought about his old friends in England, the only few he'd ever had that hadn't been incinerated when he was eight. Ryou winced at his own morbid thoughts, before turning his attention back to his more recent friends. He wondered what they were doing, or if they missed him. He didn't really miss them…they'd just been people to talk to and mess around with.

Ryou shifted uncomfortably. The airplane seat was beginning to feel more and more confined as the amount of time Ryou spent it lengthened. Ryou's legs tingled numbly with lack of movement. He stretched them out, as far as the chair in front of him would allow, and shifted, fidgeting slightly. It wasn't really any wonder he couldn't pay attention in school.

He sighed, checking his watch. Airplanes were so _boring. _

The movie that they had started on the little overhead televisions was a movie called Enchanted. It was a _lovely _Disney movie about a princess that got dropped in New York City out of her personal paradise just before her wedding. Quite possibly the most boring movie Ryou had ever seen. They should've shown something more entertaining. Something violent like The Matrix or at least some horror like 1408 or Saw…those would definitely eat the time faster then this stupid chick flick fairytale.

He glanced down at the chair to his right. A small girl, about five or six years old, was completely engrossed in the film. Her pale blonde hair was long, hanging halfway down her back and her skin was a pale peach color. Her hazel eyes were sparkling as she concentrated on the movie, like it was the most amazing thing she'd ever seen in her short life. Suddenly she looked up at Ryou.

"Is the princess gonna be ok?" She asked, her voice a high soprano, as she pointed to the screen where the princess in question was wandering around New York and essentially making a fool of herself.

Ryou looked away from her, towards the window. "I really couldn't tell you."

A few moments later, he felt a small hand stroking his hair. He twisted his head back around, his eyes fixing on the little blonde girl again, whose hand was brushing through his white tangles. She looked up at him curiously.

"Why do you have white hair?" She asked innocently, the movie apparently forgotten in the face of this new entertainment. "Are you a grandpa?"

"Um, no." Ryou said, looking around and idly wondering where the little girls parents were. There was a man to her right, but he didn't seem to have any interest in the little girl. "Where're your parents?" He asked roughly, shifting slightly away from her so that her hand wasn't in his hair anymore.

"Daddy is…." She looked around for a moment before pointing at the ceiling. "He had to go away. But grandpa and grandma say that I'll see him when it's the right time." She giggled slightly. "It's ok though. I know daddy is happy, because he still has mommy to keep him company. Grandma says that they'll watch over me like angels!" She was radiant as she said this.

Ryou recoiled slightly. "So where're you grandparents then?"

She turned around, kneeling up on her seat. "Back there!" She said pointing to a row a few behind them with two kind-looking elderly people who smiled at her and waved. She waved back then sat down.

"Why aren't you sitting with them?" Ryou asked, looking out the window again and twirling the Millennium Eye in his hands. It was becoming a habit.

"Because the airplane tickets said so. They said we have to sit in certain chairs, and mine wasn't by theirs." She said matter-of-factly, oblivious to Ryou's lack of interest.

There were a few minutes where she watched the movie again. Then she leaned over to him and said, "Hey, what's your name?"

"Ryou." Ryou replied quickly, not looking at her. She reminded him of…

"Ryou! That's a funny name. My name is Mandy, that's short for Amanda. But you can call me Kitten because that's my nickname!" She said proudly.

"Ok, that's…nice." Ryou sighed.

"Hey Ryou, why is your voice different from mine?" She said, playing with his hair again. He gently grabbed her hand and put it in her lap. She looked curiously at his scarred arm as he did so, but didn't say anything about it.

"Please don't do that." He said, staring her in the eye. "It's because I'm not from around here."

She nodded like she knew exactly what he meant. She squirmed in her seat. Typical five year old.

Then she said softly. "Ryou, where are your parents?"

Ryou stiffened.

"Did they go to heaven too, like my mommy and daddy?" She was looking at him, her eyes wide. She waited patiently for an answer. She didn't understand…she must think it was natural for someone to have lost their parents, since hers were gone when she was so young. But was Ryou really going to explain this to a little girl? He sucked in a breath, held it then let it out.

"Yes. My mother went to heaven. My dad lives in far away, but he didn't die. I just don't see him anymore, though." Ryou said, staring blankly at the seat in front of him.

"Don't you miss him?" She asked

"No."

She sat silently for a few heartbeats. "Do you think that maybe your mommy and my mommy know each other?"

Ryou ran a hand through his bangs. "Maybe." He said. "I don't know."

The girl laughed again. "Can we be friends Ryou?"

'Oh, how touching.' A sarcastic voice interrupted Ryou's thoughts, a voice that sounded thoroughly disgusted by the little girl's associating with Ryou. 'Someone actually likes your company.'

"Sure." Ryou said, frowning out the window again and ignoring the Spirit.

"Yay! Ryou will we be friends for a long, long, long, _long_ time?" She was leaning over the boundaries of her chair, supported on the armrest, and practically in Ryou's lap.

"At least until the plane lands." Ryou informed, still looking out the window.

"Are you going to France too?" She asked excitedly. "My grandma and grandpa said that we're going to France for a family vacation. We're meeting my cousin and aunt and uncle there!"

"No, I'm going to Egypt. I have to switch planes in France." Ryou twirled the Eye again, before putting it back in his pocket and began tapping his fingers on the armrest.

"Where's that?" Mandy asked.

"Africa."

"Where's Africa?"

"Below France."

"France is where I'm going!" She squealed in delight.

Ryou rolled his eyes, gritting his teeth. She was _just_ a little girl. Just an annoying little girl who Could. Not. Stop. Talking. He could handle it though. Every teacher, every adult, he'd ever met had told him that patience was a virtue; this would be a great time to practice.

She was playing with his hair again.

He turned his face slightly and gave her a sideways look. "I thought I asked you not to do that anymore." He said, honestly struggling to keep his voice level and remember that this was a little girl who had no common sense.

"Your hair is so _soft_ though! It's soft like a teddy bear." She said, still stroking away. He caught her hand again, holding it this time. He looked at her very seriously.

"Don't."

She burst out laughing. Ryou didn't see what was so funny about this. "You didn't say _please_." She said between giggles, and attempted to touch his hair again.

"Don't _please_." Ryou emphasized. "There. Now…watch the movie."

"Okay." She nodded vigorously. "Do you like this movie?"

Ryou nodded vaguely. "Sure, it's great." He looked out the window again.

"I love this movie. It's my first favorite! Snow White is my second favorite. And Sleeping Beauty is my _third_ favorite. I even have a fourth and fifth favorite, Beauty and the Beast and Lion King!"

Ryou just nodded.

"What's _your_ favorite movie?" The questions never stopped.

"I don't have a favorite." He said, twirling a lock of hair in his slender fingers.

"Hmm" Mandy said, making a show out of considering his answer. "Do you like Disney movies?"

"Not particularly." He responded dryly.

"Do you like movies about race cars?"

Ryou thought about it for approximately two seconds. "Nope."

"Do you like _scary_ movies?" She wiggled her fingers as she said 'scary'.

Ryou nodded again. "I do like scary movies."

"I don't. They give me nightmares." She shivered dramatically.

"Oh." Ryou said, tracing the Millennium Ring absent-mindedly. Mandy would ask him another question every once in a while. What was his favorite animal? His favorite color? How old was he? Why did he where necklaces? How come he had 'pictures' on his skin? And she attempted to pet him two more times, because his hair was 'just so soft'. He told her off as gently as he could manage considering his patience, which was by this point stretched very thin.

By the time the plane finally touched down in France, Ryou never wanted to see a little girl again. Especially not Mandy. Past her hundreds of endless questions, she was far too similar to _her_. So they'd said their goodbyes. Mandy had even gotten all choked up as her grandparents attempted to lead her off after she gave him a _very _long hug and made Ryou promise, cross his heart and hope to die, pinky swear, and shake on it _twice _that he would never ever forget her as long as he lived. Ryou didn't think that forgetting her was possible.

Ryou boarded his next flight, the one that would take him to the Borg al Arab Airport in Egypt. It was a much smaller plane, and as it happened, Ryou didn't have anyone sitting next to him. He sat, savoring the peace and quiet, and closed his eyes, falling into a dreamless sleep, knowing that he might not have much time for resting in the future. For all he knew, they'd be stuck in some egyptian slum, searching for Items where there were none. The sound of the plane's engines set a rhythm that was in time with his pulse, and he sighed. It didn't matter what was in store for him in Egypt. He'd worry about it when it happened...for the moment, he was content.

* * *

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	12. Chapter 12: Misfortune In Egypt

You know you love it when I update!

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Ryou stepped out of the rickety, un-air-conditioned bus and onto the little dirt-paved road.

"Good day, sir." The tanned Arabian driver called out in a light accent from within the dark innards of the faded bus. Ryou gave a curt nod in reply, but didn't glance back as the doors hissed closed and the bus squealed away from him farther down the street to unload it's other goods.

The bottoms of his pant legs were immediately coated in a fine layer of brown dust and his clothes stuck to his skin with the heat, which was almost unbearable. The midday sun beat down on his head, making every drop of water in his body seem to evaporate on the spot. He'd pulled his hair into a loose ponytail to keep it off his neck, which was already damp with perspiration. He pursed his lips slightly; his mouth had almost instantaneously parched on contact with the dry air and he felt like he'd not had anything to drink for a week.

He looked at the tiny sprawled out buildings before him.

He was in a small town out in the middle of scenic nowhere. Ryou doubted whether the little collection of shops and tiny apartments even had a name at all. The combination of sun bleached, sandblasted stucco and mud-brick buildings smeared the lines between desert and civilization so that it seemed like the town had just grown out of the sand. The streets were all dirt though, _one step_ up _from sand_, Ryou thought to himself.

The Pyramids were mere dots on the horizon, and, according to the bus driver, the Nile River was about a three-day walk from here. The town got the majority of their water from a tiny oasis on the edge of their town, and from a very deep well in its center.

In way of transportation, most people living here had rickshaws, donkeys, or camels to carry them places since the bus only came once a week to pick up and drop off mail, food shipments, and, like today, passengers. What was the point of cars when you had nowhere to go? So, whether he liked it or not, Ryou was stuck here for a week. And, like he'd feared, this place was practically identical to how it probably was three millennia ago. Sure, maybe Cairo was completely modernized but time hadn't touched this little patch of desert.

Of course there were tiny indications that a more civilized world laid beyond the sand. The people, dressed in cotton robes in white, brown, or tan, often carried an Ipod or a Walkman. A cell phone peeked out of someone's pocket though how it got service out here, Ryou'd never know. A woman sitting behind a table that had an assortment of crops on it tapped away on a laptop. Somewhere in the deeper parts of the little town, a radio played some sort of rock music; the bass made the town seem like it had a heartbeat. A few powerlines crossed the sky. Regardless of these things, Ryou felt like he'd stepped into 2000 B.C.

He looked down at himself. He wore a pale gray shirt and a pair of khaki pants. In a city like Cairo, he would have been fine. The only indication he was from elsewhere was his paler-than-normal skin, but other then that he could have lived there for all anyone knew. Here, he stuck out like a sore thumb. He doubted tourists ever came to this little town, and he had 'tourist' written all over him.

He shouldered his duffel bag and began making his way into the maze of stands and tiny shops. Why would the people in this bazaar think he was here? Did it really matter? Bakura insisted that this town was closest to his old city in the Egypt of his time. It had been destroyed, but never the less it was where the Items had been created, and so this was as good a place as any to begin searching.

People were giving Ryou odd looks. Some looks said 'What are you doing here you albino?' Others said, 'Look, a tourist. I can probably rip him off.' And some simply paid him no heed at all.

'_Ok, koe, where to first?'_ Ryou directed at Bakura.

'_Don't be a baka, Host. Go to a curio stand where they sell jewelry, antiques, and whatever else they think a gullible idiot might buy. That will be where they're sold, if they're even here. I would have thought _that_ was obvious.'_

'_Okay, okay. Forgive my ignorance.' _Ryou snapped. Then, incredulously, he said '_A town of this size has a curio stand? What's the point! There's no tourists here…well, except for me of course.' _Ryou scanned the people that were set up with their tiny pavilions for one that looked promising.

'_Mortals are greedy and vain. They'll buy jewelry and 'nice' things just to say they have them…even if they just live in a place like this where everyone knows everyone. Trust me. Someone will have a curio stand set up.' _

"Sure." Ryou muttered under his breath, then he made a beeline through a crowd of robed people who were all crowding around a little outdoor shop. The vendor appeared to be selling animals, both alive and squawking or dead and strung up by their feet. The people had animals of their own or had bags of roots and vegetables. Some had rolls of cloth. All had one thing in common though: They were all trying to get the best meat before it was gone.

Ryou decided that this particular area was not going to get him anywhere. The racket was unbearable and the stench of sweat and raw meat was making him nauseous. He shoved through to the other side. It was still crowded, but less people needed clothing and other such necessities right then. After all, when the meat was gone, it was gone. Ryou absently wondered if he'd have to actually buy meat from the little shop where he was sure sanitation wasn't exactly high on their list of priorities. And what about preparing it? They had to have _some _sort of restaurant around here didn't they?

Dragging himself back into the present, Ryou approached a woman who had a small pavilion set up. The tarp strung over the high wooden poles offered shade, though in the heat it didn't help much. She was sitting weaving a basket made of some sort of reed. Beside her were piles of more of the same, all in different sizes or styles.

"Excuse me." Ryou said, getting the woman's attention. She looked at him curiously then smiled.

A torrent of Arabic gibberish flowed from her lips. She gestured to the baskets picking them up and pointing out details in their craftsmanship. When she would hold up one, and get no reaction from Ryou who couldn't understand a thing she said, she would immediately move to the next.

"I'm sorry, miss. I don't need a basket, really. Do you speak English?" He asked, trying to be patient. _I'm the tourist. I'm the tourist. _Ryou repeated to himself.

The woman cocked her head to the side and looked confused. "Eng-lish?" She asked, her voice as confused as her expression. She shook her head quickly then went right back to trying to sell him her reed baskets.

Ryou shook his head roughly. Then he held up his Millennium Ring. "This?" He said very slowly and as plainly as he could. "Do _you_ know where I could buy something like these? No, I really don't want a basket, thanks." He pointed to the Ring and Puzzle, gesturing pointedly.

'_I feel like a complete idiot.' _

'_Yes, and you look like one too. Stop complaining.' _

Just then the woman nodded vigorously and Ryou could almost see the light bulb flickering on over her head. She pointed down the street then to Ryou's Items then down the street again, all the time speaking in smooth Arabic.

"Thanks." Ryou said shortly. He turned away, but not before the woman shoved a tiny palm-sized basket into his hand and stuttered, "Fr-ee." She smiled and went back to her weaving while Ryou continued his way down the street.

He twisted the basket around a few times, examining it, before he placed it in a pocket on the side of his duffel bag. As he moved away from the food and clothing areas of the market, the crowds grew less and less. Some kids ran around in the streets, playing tag, while outside some of the little hovels that were becoming more common, women would be folding laundry into piles. Ryou wondered if they had running water here. They had at least some electricity to charge the multiple electronics he saw floating around.

He'd walked for only two or three minutes, going farther out into the fringes of the marketplace, when he saw a stand that looked promising. The man had a red turban wrapped around his head and was watching a television set which currently showed a man gunning down a group of guards. Ryou stepped up to the table, which had little trinkets and valuables (whether genuine antiques or recreated frauds Ryou couldn't tell) scattered in organized groups across its surface.

The man looked away from his show to see who had taken an interest in his merchandise.

"Good day, sir." He said. His accent was so heavy Ryou could barely understand him, but he spoke English. "I'm Shadmal, how can I help you?"

Ryou didn't feel like dealing with pleasantries and decided he'd cut right to the point. "Do you have anything similar to these?" He said, roughly removing the Puzzle from his neck and handing it to the man. Then he took out the Eye from his pocket and slapped it down on the table. Last he slowly pulled the Ring by its chord from his neck, hesitant, though he wasn't sure why. He laid it on the table, closer to him then he'd done the others and kept his hand on the chord casually.

"Ah, you have items of legend sir. Erm, how do you say….ah, yes, Millennium Items?"

'_This is promising my Yadonushi…The man knows what they are, perhaps he can help us to locate the others.'_

Ryou smiled stiffly and nodded. "Yes, and I'm looking for the others. I'm somewhat of a collector lately, and I have to have these items to complete my collection."

The man rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Ah yes, very hard to come by, these items you have here. Would you not be willing to, ah, sell these items? I would pay you in American dollars or in trade if that is your wish."

"I'm not interested in selling them." Ryou snapped, pulling the Ring a bit closer to himself.

"No? Not for one hundred American dollars apiece? More then? Two hundred perhaps, I make you a good deal, sir. Wise men look to sell and earn and move up."

Ryou rolled his eyes, dismissing Shadmal's rather pointless advice. "It's obvious you can't help me, so I'll be taking my business elsewhere." Ryou stated, shouldering his bag again, collecting the Items, and making to leave.

"Wait! Wait sir. Ok, ok. You do not wish to sell. Only to buy, no? Ok, ok. That is fine. You want more items like yours you say? Well, take a look at my wares. All antiques from the peak of Egypt's greatest dynasties. Look here…" He held up a bronze cat figurine. "…This little kitty was found in a tomb just south of Tut's! And I have many more like them. Cats were sacred to the Egyptians.

"And here we have a one hundred percent pure gold Ankh. Egypt's alchemists were some of the greatest in the ancient world you know."

"Listen, I'm only interested if it's something that is similar to these." Ryou shook the Ring, which he'd place around his neck again, emphasizing what he wanted. It's tassels tinkled like a wind chime.

"A serious shopper, eh? Not too many of those around here. Let me see." Shadmal disappeared under his table, searching through boxes of his 'antiques'. "Hmm. Well, I don't…ah, wait! Wait. This might be what you're looking for, sir. Let me just…get it…"

There was a muffled crash from under the table as a box tipped and souvenirs spilled to the dusty ground. Ryou rolled his eyes.

"Haha, I'll clean that up in a moment. The customer is more important of course." Shadmal said, laughing, as he reappeared from under the table. He stood up, holding something behind his back. "Maybe this is what you are looking for, young sir? Only two hundred dollars for it, you wouldn't find a better deal in all of Egypt!"

With a flourish, Shadmal revealed a piece of gold jewelry. It was a simple ringlet of gold that shimmered, reflecting gold light onto Ryou's face. On the ringlet was an eye, like the one on the three Items. The eye seemed to stare at him blankly. Two more rods of gold curved on the outsides of the eye.

'_Impossible…' _

Suddenly Ryou's arm snatched out, snagging the necklace from the man who cried out in alarm.

Ryou could feel immediately Bakura guiding his movements, but he hadn't completed the transfer between their minds. It was like he was overshadowing Ryou without completely shrouding him. Ryou felt Bakura's emotions as though they were his own, and the distinction between who was controlling their body was impossible to define. It was like two rivers, separated by a fork in the path, had rejoined as the sliver of dividing land disappeared. He found he didn't even _want_ to bother trying to push the spirit away from him. Why would he, when it would be like pushing away himself? It was no longer Yami and Hikari, Host and Parasite…Bakura had, in his eagerness, merged them into a single entity.

Ryou's thoughts changed…he had no annoyance at being in Egypt anymore, but felt a strange comfort like the aftereffects of homesickness. They had only one desire and that was revenge. It felt like the simmering anger would consume his mind, yet he lived off it. _Thrived_ off it. Their purpose, the Items, was everything.

They held up the necklace to their face, tracing their fingers over its features.

"Sir, if I may, you cannot handle the items until your purchase them." Shadmal said, his accent even thicker with anger, some of the words meshing with Arabic. He brushed himself heatedly and glared at them sharply.

"Quiet, idiot." They hissed, their voice an unfamiliar mix between their individual voices. They ran the item through their fingers, brushing its every surface, examining its every detail.

"You must give that back, now." The furious shopkeeper growled in guttural Arabic.

"Silence!" They replied in the same tongue, glaring daggers at the man. Shadmal jerked back under the dark stare in surprise at the sudden transfer from English to Arabic.

They gave the necklace a last look over then threw it back at the man who caught it with fumbling fingers. Back in English, they growled, "You are a fraud."

Shadmal was flustered. "No, sir, I assure you. I only sell the most genuine of merchandise."

Tired of the shopkeepers' attitude they reached over the table and dragged him forward by his robe. Their anger had increased until it was to the point of overflowing; they did not appreciate delays. "Do not _lie_ to me ghabi. It's obvious that the necklace is a fake, made of a bronze alloy with a gold leaf. Though the craftsmanship is fine, I have decades of experience on my side, and I can tell a counterfeit when I see one…Now, tell me that necklace is genuine again. Keep in mind, it would not be wise to anger me." They hissed, holding his eyes with their own.

Paling, Shadmal stuttered, trying to keep up with his customer's words. It vaguely occurred to him that the boy couldn't be more then eighteen, yet he claimed _decades_ of experience? The merchant didn't have time to consider that though, because he was being dragged forward even closer to the insane teen.

Shadmal's determination quickly broke, as his mood-shifting client pulled his carefully constructed lies apart. He began explaining in a rush. "Ok, ok. Yes, the Necklace was forged. I promise, though, all my other wares are true antiques…most of them, I think. I buy from different sources, of course, so the true origins of some are a mystery. But an item of legend such as the Millennium Necklace could sell for hundreds! I assure you, friend, I only had good intentions. It is nothing against my customers…I only try to make my living, of course."

"Of _course_… That doesn't make up for your mistake I'm afraid. I don't appreciate being _conned_. Especially by worthless scum like you." Their eyes narrowed and multiple methods of how to punish the unfortunate Egyptian crossed their thoughts.

Shadmal was truly terrified of the teen. His heart beat with the pace of a rabbit, and sweat lined his brow. The boy's personality had changed so swiftly it seemed impossible. His thoughts were racing. What should he do? His customer appeared to be on the very verge of killing him just to watch him die. He needed a way out.

Ryou Bakura suddenly shoved the man away from them. There was still a strong desire to dissect the man and feed him to a jackal, but it was more one sided now that Bakura's original excitement at the prospect of such an easy retrieval was gone. A rift had formed between his and his Host's minds again, and Ryou was reestablishing his consciousness. An ache formed in their mind as their souls seperated slowly.

Bakura's control slipped as the crack that separated them widened and their previously combined thoughts broke up, becoming disjointed.

'_My body…fraud…deserves…give me my…quiet Host!'_

Bakura ripped away from his Host, recovering lost ground as best he could. He shoved at the source of Ryou's strength mentally, trying to force him into releasing complete control to him. Ryou shakily grabbed hold of the Millennium Ring on the outside, holding onto it like it was an anchor holding him in his body and clinging to the control he still had.

Meanwhile Shadmal watched in fading fear as the boy before him shook, his face strained.

Finally Bakura receded in a rush, leaving Ryou with a sharp stinging in his mind and a hollow feeling in his chest.

"Sir, you have to leave now. Go, take your business elsewhere." Shadmal ordered, recovering his courage and taking a step towards Ryou bravely.

"Shut up!" Ryou spat, causing Shadmal to jump. His voice shook as he leaned heavily on the table. "And you'd better be bloody grateful I don't tell this entire town that you're a lying con artist." The stinging in his head escalated, shooting pangs rhythmically into his thoughts. He knew that if he didn't sit down he was going to pass out any moment. He scooped up the Millennium Items with weak fingers that shook with uncontrollable convulsions turned to leave.

Stumbling off, he didn't even hear as Shadmal called, "Don't come back, foolish Englishman." His fingers were numb so he had to readjust his grip on his duffel bag twice before he had a good enough hold on it and could escape the small crowds of people that were increasing as the sun forged its path through the sky.

Finally Ryou collapsed against a building, unable to walk farther on his tired legs. He swore quietly under his breath, cursing the merchant, Bakura, and himself.

'_What in the world were you thinking, Bakura? I mean, what was that, you stupid… Have the past 3000 years in this cursed Item of yours made you lose your mind?' _Ryou ranted. Every word thought sent bursts of dulling pain into his mind. He pressed both hands to his head as feeling started coming back to his fingers.

'_Stop yelling, baka! Losing your temper isn't going to help you at all.' _Bakura snapped at him. _'And if it comforts you in any way, you should know that wasn't easy on my mind either. Pain is a fact of life. Deal with it, ghabi.' _

Ryou let his mind pull back into his personal walled off areas. The places Bakura couldn't reach unless he _really_ wanted to, and if he weren't lying, Bakura wouldn't be in any shape to attack Ryou's defenses again.

He pulled in a deep shuddering breath and let his hands fall back to his sides. His thoughts, still racked with sudden erratic aches, seemed meshed and blurred. He had to concentrate to work out the events of the past five minutes.

He remembered how he'd been as shocked as Shadmal when his hand had snatched out and taken the faulty necklace. But after that…everything changed. He hadn't even been himself anymore. He hadn't felt Bakura's presence, but he hadn't felt his own either, they'd been one mind. Just one. Ryou sighed.

He'd forgotten about Amane. For those few minutes, she'd been completely erased from his memories. He'd forgotten about his father, and the fire. About his whole life really, under the influences of the new mind he and Bakura had shared. There had only been the present and the raw emotions they'd felt, like the anger, and the desire for power. He despised admitting it, but it had been terrifying not being himself. Now that it was over, he felt like it was the scariest thing that had ever happened to him. Thinking about it left him cold and numbed his fingers all over again.

Haunted houses and castles he'd gone to with his 'friends' in England? Those didn't hold a candle to feeling like your mind had been swallowed by something else. At the same time, not having the split between their souls had been almost a relief. They hadn't had to _share_ the body for those few minutes because there'd only been one complete consciousness to have it. But he wouldn't trade himself for that primitive feeling creature they'd been.

_Never again_. Ryou thought to himself. _I will never let that happen again. _He pulled the Millennium Eye from his pocket and began spinning it between his fingers, still shaking with mild tremors.

After a few minutes, Ryou had collected himself enough that he felt like he could start walking around again. He absolutely did not want to keep looking for Items, but what else would he do? He supposed he could try and find an inn or something where he could spend the night, but what about the rest of the day? When he'd arrived it had been almost noon. Now it was closer to 2:00, but there were hours of daylight left. It wouldn't take _that_ long to find a place to stay.

He drew a breath, held it, then let it out and pushed himself up off the dusty ground. Wiping sweat off his neck, he tightened the band holding his hair together, and gripped his bag. Slipping the Eye back into this pants pocket, he ensured that the Ring and Puzzle were secure around his neck. Finally he dusted himself off and began walking back towards the busier parts of the market.

A small group of Egyptians had started playing some music with a small harp, a tiny flute, a pair of miniature cymbals, and a drum that set a beat. People stood around them, occasionally throwing a coin or two into a wooden bowl that sat in the middle of their musical circle. Sometimes an apple or a pear would drop into the wooden bowl instead of money. But for the most part, the group didn't seem to be making very much.

Ryou laughed halfheartedly for their efforts, but dropped a dollar in before continuing along his way.

People still regarded him with curiosity and even hostility. People were whispering in Arabic to each other, he was sure, about him. He'd become a topic of gossip, and, the town being as small as it was, word had spread quickly apparently.

A boy, probably twelve years old, pointed Ryou out to another boy the same age and they stared at him before jogging off into an alleyway blocked off by a large wagon filled with straw and reeds. The boys had been filthy, Ryou noticed; dirt smeared their faces and dust covered their short black hair. They'd been wearing little more then cotton pants and headbands. Ryou didn't think for more than a few moments on them though. _Everyone _was staring at him, after all.

A thought occurred to Ryou as he browsed the little shops along the road, feeling the odd looks and unspoken questions washing over him like the heat waves that were rolling through. Why _hadn't_ he just gone to Cairo? They had a museum. A _big_ museum that's main attraction was all the great artifacts from Egypt's past. If anyone had found Millennium Items in Egypt recently, they would have undoubtedly ended up in that museum. He must be insane; listening to a crazed Spirit who told him the best place to look would be in the middle of freaking NOWHERE!

_Watch _Ryou thought to himself _Bakura is just a figment of my over reactive mind. I'm suffering from a severe case of Schizophrenia due to the traumatic events of my childhood. It just so happens I'm one of those people who actually _listen_ to the voices in their head who tell them to do insane things…And on top of that, I have Dissociative Identity Disorder. _Ryou paused. _Jeez, I need Therapy. _

"Get out of the way, Ghabi!" An accented angry voice called out. Ryou started then jumped out of the way just in time to see a large cart pulled by a team of oxen barrel over where he'd been standing in the middle of the street. "Pay attention idiot!" The driver yelled over his shoulder before continuing through the market.

"Well alright." Ryou muttered. He turned around to see which stand he was at. The merchant was a girl with black hair, sheared off at her chin. A thin cotton wrap covered most of her face and head, though the sun allowed him to see her features clearly enough. It appeared she'd done her hair herself, as it was uneven and looked very unprofessional. She was younger than him by two years or so. A boy sat on the ground beside her, weaving six flexible reeds into a braid.

Ryou looked at what she was selling, which happened to be fruits. They were organized into boxes, which were piled in a stair fashion. Most were not of the type that would grow around here, so he guessed that she sold the fruit after getting it from the weekly bus drop off.

Grabbing a clean looking apple, he said, "Mind if I buy this?"

The girl touched the cloth over her lips and shook her head slightly. "Ah, no English. Right." He pulled two one-dollar bills out of his wallet, which was place in his duffle bag, and handed them to her. "I'm going to take this." He held up the apple. "And give you these." He held out the two pieces of US currency. She nodded, smiled, said something in Arabic, and then took the two dollar-bills. Then she handed him a second apple, blushing behind her wrap when he smiled and took it from her.

Ryou walked away from the stand, putting one of the apples in his bag to eat later.

'_Bakura, what do you want me to do now. I don't think we're going to find any Millennium Items here…and I'm stuck for the rest of the week.' _Ryou mentioned as he took a bite out of the apple he held, noting that he was talking to his voices again.

'_Do whatever you want. Just keep your eyes open.' _Bakura said brusquely.

'_Yes, because there's _so _much here in the way of entertainment.' _

'_What do you suggest, Yadonushi?' _Bakura said sarcastically.

'_Well, the next town isn't _that _far. Maybe I should buy a camel from someone, pack some water jugs, and just leave.' _

Bakura sneered at him, his voice dragging through Ryou like barbed wire. _'If a twenty-four hour camel-ride won't bother you than by all means, go out into the desert with limited water and no landmarks to guide your path. Perhaps you can find a snake to end your misery before dying of dehydration and starvation when you get lost and become useless to me.'_

Ryou grimaced at the mental picture Bakura had painted for him. _'Well, when you put it that way, maybe I should just see what's around here. There's got to be _something _people around here do when they're bored.' _

'_I'm sure there's a tavern in the outskirts or slums.'_

'_I don't drink. I've done stupid things, but drinking isn't on the list.' _Ryou shot back incredulously

'_Just as well, drinking clouds your mind long after your hangover is past.' _

Ryou remembered when some of his old buddies in England had tried to pressure him into drinking just weeks before he'd left for Japan. It hadn't been the first time they'd tried to get him to do it either. He knew from experience how idiotic drunks became, and if he never did anything worthwhile in his life, he would still never turn to alcohol to solve his problems.

Someone bumped Ryou's back, causing him to stumble and drop his bag. He turned to see who'd hit him, but the crowd was so thick it would be impossible to discern who'd bumped into him. And really, with how crowded this area of the bazaar was, it wasn't any shock that he'd been hit by something or other.

Bending down to grab his black duffel bag, Ryou felt something catch on the rope that held the Millennium Ring around his neck. Suddenly the weight of the heavy golden Item was gone from his chest and an unnatural panic filled him. He flipped around, his eyes just catching a thin man in a nondescript brown robe disappear into the crowds holding the severed rope and dangling Ring in his dirty hands.

'_Bakura?' _Ryou called into his mind. He got only silence and a faint stream of emotion in return.

'_**Leave him, Ryou. Now you can return to Japan. You don't have to help him anymore, and you don't have to have any guilt you may feel about not helping him because this theft was **_**not**_** your fault. By nature of the Items, the theft of the Millennium Ring was complete, and so it isn't yours to deal with anymore.**_' The Pharaoh mentioned. Ryou felt like swatting him away as fear mounted in his mind. He felt too empty, too alone.

"Shut up, Pharaoh!" Ryou said. People looked at him as he spoke to thin air. Grabbing his duffle bag tightly, he dashed into the crowds after the man. An icy fist clenched around his chest when he couldn't find the direction the man had gone.

His mind was on high alert, his eyes scanning every direction the thief might have gone. He'd run back and was now standing near the place he'd gotten the fruits from the girl. He was just about to dash away again when the girl who'd sold him the apples ran into him. She grabbed his arm and spoke quickly, yammering away in Arabic that Ryou couldn't understand.

She pointed urgently to a side alley pulling him hard. When he hesitated, she touched the Millennium Puzzle and pointed towards the alley again. Understanding hit Ryou like a rock. She'd seen the man with his Ring.

"Shukran!" Ryou yelled back to the girl as he sprinted in the direction she'd pointed, not sure where he'd come up with the Arabic.

The alley had no doors and no other exits on the sides, so the thief could only have gone forward. With renewed energy Ryou traversed the length of the alley until it came out on the other side. This street was part of the living district of the town. There were few people crowding here, and no Egyptians had tables filled with merchandise set up. A donkey brayed to the left and Ryou instinctively turned to see the source of the sound.

When he did, he saw a flash of brown cloth go over a tiny barricade of boxes out of the corner of his eye. He turned towards them, running to get all the speed he could, and then leaping over the boxes.

Sweat dribbled down his brow, stinging as it got in his eyes. He wiped it away hurriedly. His duffel bag was beginning to feel very heavy and Ryou could feel fatigue settle into his limbs. He willed his legs to keep moving though. There was an almost primal instinct that was driving him to find the Ring. For whatever reason, he felt like parting with it now wasn't even an option. Randomly, Ryou recalled what Bakura had said about the relationship between and Item and its owner.

'_You may have not noticed it yet as it hasn't been very long, but the owners, over time, gain a certain attachment to their Items. They have difficulty even considering parting with them.' _Ryou tripped, almost falling, as the words came to him. Bakura had been right _again_. No wonder he felt such an alien sense of panic. His first Item had just been stolen from him and, as Bakura had said, he'd gained some sort of _attachment _to it…

Ryou forced himself back into the present. Regardless of why, he still needed to find the Millennium Ring.

The mere glimpses of cloth here and there had guided him back to a busier section of the small town that did now not seem quite so small. But the thief was slowing. Ryou saw him up ahead, looking over his shoulder to see if his pursuer was still hot on his trail. When he saw that Ryou was running after him, he cut a corner, jumping over a small goat and turned into another alley.

Ryou weaved between shoppers and rounded the corner into the alley. The breath was knocked out of him as he slammed into the thief who had stopped. Ryou tripped backwards, falling to his knees. He looked up to see why the thief had stopped running.

The reason was that someone else had caught him. He was being held at the wrist by a figure in a dark cloak that, in the shade of the alley, appeared to be black. The figure's face was shrouded under a large hood, but his hands, one outstretched and gripping the thief and the other wielding a long, narrow rod of gold, were slender, the skin a smooth dark tan.

The thief that had taken Ryou's Ring appeared to be in shock. His eyes were blank and he stood as though paralyzed. Ryou got to his feet, but didn't move forward anymore. He watched as the cloaked figure snatched the Ring from the thief's hand without any opposition. Then, to Ryou's shocked horror, the cloaked figure let go of the thief and slid the rod apart revealing one end to sharpen into a point sharper than any knife Ryou had seen. He raised the knife end of the rod and outstretched the thief's wrist again.

Hissing some words in Arabic, he brought down the knife in a quick slicing motion. Ryou watched, feeling a strange sense of relief and disgusted horror, as the thief's dismembered hand thumped to the ground.

With a jolt, the thief came out of his paralysis. He held his stump of an arm, which was now bleeding profusely, and screamed horribly. The dark form twisted the knife around, revealing the other end, which expanded to form a golden ball with curved attachments on its sides. He slammed the round edge over the man's head and he fell to the ground unconscious, still holding his bleeding arm.

Ryou looked at his still form for a long moment then came back to himself.

With a cold voice he hissed, "Give me. My. Ring."

Silently, the figure wiped the blood off the knife that, Ryou noticed for the first time, had a glimmering Eye of Horus on it. He slid the cover over it, hiding the deadly weapon that it truly was, and lifted his hands to his hood.

Ryou was shocked to find that the figure was a teen, only about a year older than him. His blonde hair fell messily over his eyes, and a golden headband with an Eye of Horus on it gleamed from just under his hairline. Ryou could see a pair of golden earrings hiding beneath his blonde layers, and rings of gold circled his throat. His violet eyes gazed at Ryou intently, the dark streaks under his them intensifying his stare.

"My Ring?" Ryou said, holding a hand out.

The teen smiled grimly, said a few words in Arabic, and then held up the Ring, looking at it admiringly.

"Great." Ryou muttered, pushing his own bangs away from his eyes and glancing towards the unconscious thief at their feet. "You probably don't understand a single thing I'm saying." Then, louder he said, "Do you speak English…or Japanese?" He sighed, not expecting an answer.

"Both actually."

Ryou raised an eyebrow as the teen spoke in flawless English. Only the barest hint of an accent betrayed his origins.

The teen held out the Millennium Ring to Ryou. "My name is Malik Ishtar."

* * *

Ghabi - Idiot  
Shukran - Thanks

Ok, YAY for Malik! Anyways, please inform me if I made any glaring mistakes (I happen to do to a bit). And please leave a review on your way out! THANKS!


	13. Chapter 13: The TombKeepers

100+ Reviews. YES!  
I want to thank Sassafrass for their review on chapter 11 which helped with parts of _this _chapter.

* * *

The sun beat down upon the Egyptian streets. In the shade of the tiny alley, a white-haired tourist confronted a robed local.

Ryou paused, eyeing the Millennium Ring in the Egyptian teen's hands suspiciously. He itched to reach out and snatch it away, but, looking again towards the unconscious thief who was unfortunate enough to run into Malik, he hesitated. Finally he reached out towards it.

"Thanks…Malik." He said. He pulled it into his hands when a voice, forcibly stronger then it ever had been previously, entered his mind.

'_**Ryou Bakura, you are making a mistake. I know what I'm talking about when I say that you should not take that curse back. Leave it with this Ishtar and forget about this headache Bakura has been for you!'**_

'_Pharaoh, I'm so sick of your unwanted comments.' _Ryou growled. Looking back to Malik he said, "Thanks again, Malik. It was important that I get this back."

The tanned teen smiled strangely. "Yes, I think I know the importance of your…Items. You didn't mention your name."

"Oh, yea. I'm Ryou." He began lifting his hands to retie the rope on the Ring, but they felt heavy. It felt like someone was forcing his arms down, or like he was carrying a large weight on them. He pulled up a bit harder, making slight progress. "Um…anyways." Ryou gave up and, covering his effort, slid the Millennium Ring into his duffel bag.

'_**I'm not letting you take it back Ryou. Not that easily. It's time for you to put this 'quest' that you've undertaken away. Believe me, I'm doing you a favor. **_**He**_** isn't yours to deal with until you put that Ring on, and if you don't he'll be out of your way for good. I'm not going to just stand idly by while you ruin your life and aid in the destruction of the world.' **_The Pharaoh explained. Ryou cursed him mentally.

'_Where're your morals now Pharaoh? Ridding me of my free will isn't something I would have guess you'd do.' _Ryou snarled at him.

'_**It's in everyone's best interest, including yours. Even if you can't see it yet, Ryou, I only do what is best for you as my Hikari.'**_

Ryou's attention was diverted as Malik said to him, "_Ryou_," he said, emphasizing as if to test out the name. "If you don't mind me asking, what are you doing in this little town in Egypt? It's not exactly a tourist hot spot and, honestly, you don't fit in very well…"

"No, I don't do I." Ryou laughed slightly, shifting away from the bleeding man on the ground between them. "No, I'm…um…I'm collecting things."

"Oh?" Malik raised an eyebrow and straightened the collar of his robe. Ryou noticed that he cast a glance towards the Millennium Puzzle resting on his chest. "What sort of things, if I'm not being too intrusive?"

"Oh, just antiques. Stuff you find in Egypt, you know? Um, aren't you going to do something about him?" Ryou shifted the subject away from himself, gesturing to the thief. He remained on the dusty ground in a growing pool of sticky red fluid that flowed from his deformed wrist and mixed with dirt forming a scarlet mud. Ryou wrinkled his nose, the salty rust smell and bright red of the blood flooding his senses.

"No. Thieves deserve no mercy." Malik said, his eyes suddenly hard as he gazed down at the man indifferently.

"And that's why you sliced his hand off? That seems sort of…harsh."

"Ha! Ryou, you obviously aren't very well versed in the customs of Ancient Egypt. Those are the laws this town lives by, and I am as qualified as any to exact this man's punishment. The penalty for thievery is the loss of your right hand." Malik nudged the man with his sandaled foot, turning him so he was face up.

Ryou nodded before he stated, "Right." His hand brushed the duffel bag where he could practically sense the Ring like a magnet, pulling his hand towards it. Bakura was angry. From such a close range, he could feel the faint stream of irritation slipping through the cracks in his mental walls. The Pharaoh, annoyingly, was still watching his movements like an overprotective parent, looking for any indications that Ryou was thinking of putting the Ring back on. Something would have to be done about that, Ryou decided.

"Well, hate to run. Thanks for your help, but I have to find a place to stay since my bus isn't coming until next week."

Malik looked at Ryou intently. "A place to stay? Where do you plan on _staying? _Everyone in this town _lives_ here, Ryou."

Ryou looked at him blankly, then "Oh right. They all live here so…there's not an inn or something?" Ryou sighed and pulled his hair tighter in the band. "Ok, plan B. You know where I can buy a camel and enough water to let me cross the desert to the next town?"

Malik shook his head. "That really isn't a good idea." He sidestepped around the man on the ground, taking care to not get blood on the hem of his robe. He stepped out of the alley, waiting for Ryou to follow.

Now that the sun was shining on Malik, Ryou noticed that the robe, which before had looked black, was actually a very dark purple. Malik must have been baking inside it so why didn't he wear something lighter, Ryou wondered. The Egyptian's gold cast yellow reflections on the dusty ground, attracting the attention of some shoppers who gazed at him enviously, but they all kept their distance. Was Malik the acting police here?

Malik had begun talking again, and Ryou, distracted by his own thoughts, had missed what he was saying. He tried to catch up. "…how many people I've known and heard of who tried crossing these sands." Malik was saying. "They lived in them their whole lives, but then they were impatient, like you, and many weren't seen or heard from again. There are snakes, scorpions, and the heat, which can and will bake you alive if you don't know how to protect yourself. Then there are the windstorms that blow massive waves of sand across the desert.

"Not to mention the bandits who have made their entire living in the desert as nomads who take advantage of any rare travelers they happen across. Most of those travelers are in jeeps; you being on a camel would be a bright red target. Not to mention you would be alone, where as any who dare venture into the desert travel in groups of at least six. _And_ on top of all of this, unless you have a compass, there is practically no way to get to where you're going unless you can read the stars and travel by night. There aren't any landmarks in the desert. Only the shifting sands." Malik finished as they began walking back towards where the bus had originally dropped Ryou off a few hours before. They passed many of the stands where Ryou had looked earlier, and many of the merchants watched them as they passed by. "So you see, it wouldn't be in your best interest to try leaving via camel."

They were both silent for a few moments, then Ryou said. "Well, you know how to change someone's mind."

Malik laughed, and then replied, "I guess I could have just let you figure out all those things on your own."

Ryou looked out past the buildings to the hills of sand surrounding them. "I'm glad you didn't. Bakura told me as much, but he's more threatening than helpful."

"Bakura?" Malik looked confused. Ryou stopped for a second before letting his legs carry him forward again. How could he have let that slip out?

"Yea, Bakura. He was a man I met at the, um, airport when I first arrived. I asked him about traveling through the desert when considering my options of where to, you know, find the things for my collection. He told me sort of what you did in not so many words." Ryou fabricated madly, coming up with 'Bakura's' story quickly.

Malik didn't look especially convinced, but he shrugged. "Well, Bakura was right, even if he didn't explain it as well as me."

Ryou nodded. Looking up at the vast expanse of blue sky, he wondered what he would do for boarding now. He couldn't very well sleep on the streets. Or he could, but it certainly wasn't his favorite option.

Ryou looked around. They were on the very fringes of the town. The market was behind them, the bus stop where Ryou had been dropped off twenty yards to their left. Malik was making a straight line into the desert. And right after he'd just given that speech on why going out into the desert alone was a bad idea, Ryou thought ironically. _Am I supposed to follow him still? _

"Malik, where are we going?" Ryou inquired, stopping. Malik took another few steps before he looked at Ryou.

"Do you want a place to stay or not?"

Ryou looked past Malik doubtfully. "In the desert?"

Malik laughed, seemingly in high spirits. "No. I live out there."

"You _live _in the desert?"

"Not too far from here." He clarified. "It's only a ten-minute walk or so. Or you can go back and try to find a generous villager if you'd rather." Malik suggested, turning and continuing into the sea of sand.

Ryou looked back and forth from the village to Malik and back. Ten minutes? The desert was practically flat except for the random hills of sand like shifting waves. If Malik had a house out there, only ten minutes away, then shouldn't Ryou be able to at least see a black dot or something that would indicate a house…or shack as the case may be? Maybe Malik was insane. Some people went mad from the heat of Egypt, according to Bakura.

Finally Ryou made a split decision and sprinted after Malik. "Hold up, Ishtar!"

Malik paused, gazing back at Ryou patiently with a smirk on his face. "I guessed as much."

"Shut up." Ryou countered as he came up on Malik's left side. "So you really have a house out here?"

Malik thought for a minute, chewing his lip. "I wouldn't consider it a _house_." He said finally, brushing his fingers through his medium-length blonde hair.

"What, you live in a cave?" Ryou laughed.

"Sort of." Ryou's laughter ceased. He opened his mouth questioningly but Malik said, "Why don't you just wait until we get there and see for yourself."

They walked in silence for a few minutes. Ryou wiped his forehead, thinking that it might be a good idea to cut his hair if he'd be taking any more trips to places as hot as here. His feet were warm because the sand heated them through his shoes. The tan particles seemed to radiate the heat up onto him. Behind them, the town had become a smudged mirage, wavy and dream-like with the layers of heat between them.

He surreptitiously glanced at the golden knife, disguised as a simple rod, that Malik still wielded in his right hand. He had a vague sense that Malik's knife was another one of the Items. But this dealt him a slight problem–

"Here we are." Malik interrupted Ryou's thoughts, stopping. Ryou followed his example. Before them were a jumbling of collapsed sandstone walls. They protruded out of the desert, fighting time but failing. In the middle of the decrepit courtyard was a pair of enormous wooden doors inlaid into the desert floor. Ryou tilted his head to the side curiously. The wooden doors appeared newer than the walls, with only minro wearing on the wood to indicate the passage of time and wind blown sand on the doors. Metal lines braced the wood and large nails held the boards together. Two circles of iron, ten inches in diameter each, were on the doors: one apiece.

Malik stepped forward, leaned down, and gripped one of the metal rings. He heaved, wrenching the door up until it stood as tall as him, then he let it collapse to the other side with a _thud_. Sand puffed up around the fallen door before it settled again. Shifting to the door on the opposite side, Malik repeated the process. Wrench, heave, _thud. _

Inside was a rapidly declining stairway that reminded Ryou of the basement into Pegasus' Floridian Headquarters. The stone steps had depressions in the center indicating the many feet that had gone up and down these stairs. A cool draft rushed up out of the path Malik had revealed, smelling of musty, but otherwise clean, air.

On either side of the stairway was a large torch, providing a few feet of light down into the depths of the pit, but beyond that it was as black as Ryou would guess Bakura's Soul Room was. The one on the left had been bolted into the wall recently, from the looks of the silvery screws, though it still had cobwebs tracing its entire length. The one on the right was older looking, with hieroglyphs carved into the wood. Unlike its counterpart, this one was free of dust and webs and was supported in a metal casing.

Malik pulled the unattached torch from the wall took a step down into the cellar-like pit.

"Are you coming?" he asked, looking amused.

"You weren't kidding. You do realize your 'house' is a tomb right?" Ryou mentioned, not ecstatic to be going down into who-knew-where where it was blacker than a moonless night and smelled like it hadn't been entered in ages.

"Don't concern yourself too much. It's empty except for my family and I, and has been since its creation. No one was ever buried here…as far as we know." He grinned.

Ryou narrowed his eyes at the dark passage, but slowly followed Malik, taking the steps one at a time. "Why was it built if no one was ever buried here?"

"It could be any number of things. Maybe the person got the money needed for a more expensive tomb. This one would have been cheap, middle class by their standards. Or maybe they were buried with family members in a different region. Or perhaps there was a problem in construction, and it couldn't be used. They were very proper when it came to death. In any case, we'll probably never know. My family has been living here for generations, and they've never discovered a solid reason for its lack of use. " The stair way branched into two paths, still declining, but less rapidly. The stairs leveled into a worn stone path. "Some, like my father, believed that this was never a tomb in the first place, but a place for Egyptians to worship in secret."

"A cult?"

He nodded. "This theory is supported by its abnormal layout and all its mystery chambers. Some of the markings on the walls, the hieroglyphs, suggest that it might have been a sect of dedicated priests who devoted their lives to protecting the Pharaohs. It's hard to know, though, because the glyphs are of a dialect unique to these chambers. The symbols hardly resemble common hieroglyphics, they're completely different, and we don't have a second Rosetta stone. Unless we find some key, we'll only ever have vague ideas of what they mean. My family has been searching for their meaning since, well, forever. We've gotten really close, and can translate some of the phrases."

Malik and Ryou entered a small chamber. It was empty, save for a dark doorway on the opposite end, and stone benches jutting out from the walls on either side. A patch of light, real light, shone down from the ceiling. Ryou looked up, seeing a large circular hole. A blue scrap of sky could just be seen like a piece of azure cloth on a dark backdrop; it was so far away that Ryou felt an instinctive sense of panic well up inside of him. He was underground, how far down he had no clue, and it felt like being buried alive.

"Ryou, its easy to get lost." Malik reminded him, already at the other side. Ryou followed quickly, disappointed that he was leaving the patch of blue behind. They entered another tunnel; this one had an orange light at the end, indicating more torches.

"How big _is _this tomb-slash-cult place?" Ryou asked.

"It isn't that big, it just seems that way because of how dark it is. There are five large chambers, and four small ones. There's the entry chamber you saw back there. And if you go back and take the left fork, then it leads to the largest chamber, it's probably…actually, I'll just take you to see it sometime this week." They exited the dark tunnel into a chamber that Ryou assumed was one of the larger ones. It was lit by torches place on the walls at six-foot intervals.

There were two doors leading out, one on the right wall and a large exit that led into another brightly lit chamber. Out of the smaller door, a woman rushed in. A ringlet of gold that circled her head and rested on her brow, holding back her long black hair, which flowed to an inch or so past her shoulder blades.

Ryou's eyes were drawn to here throat where a very familiar piece of gold jewelry contrasted against her dark skin. Recognition was immediate; after all, he'd been offered a fraud just an hour earlier.

Her face was livid, and Ryou's thoughts were drawn away from her necklace. She stormed over to Malik who said, "Ishizu, don't have a fit. It wasn't that big of a deal."

Speaking in English (to Ryou's surprise) she said in a distressed voice, "You left again! Malik, I don't know what to do with you. If father were still here, he'd have you _whipped_." As she rebuked him, another figure came out of the door, more quietly. He was tall, and he had a single long black ponytail pulled on the back of his head. The rest of his scalp had not a hair on it. The left side of his face had Egyptian glyphs tattooed in rows, framed by a black line. He wore a pair of black cargo pants and a green sleeveless shirt. A black robe was bunched around the collar and hung off his shoulders. He eyed Ryou suspiciously but didn't say anything, just stood observing.

"Sister, calm yourself! I know all the things father would say and do, but he isn't here. You know I can't stand this cage we live in. What harm is visiting the village going to do?"

"You know very well why you aren't to go out there." She huffed. "You have a duty to our family, and your rebellious ideas are disturbing. They're going to get you into trouble! You're supposed to be a Tomb-Keeper, it's your privilege, and you're shirking of it is appalling."

"I was only going to get some food." Malik argued.

"That is for me or Odion to do. Ever since I took you out _once _you can't just leave it behind. You…you – Oh!" The tall, silent man, Odion, had cleared his throat and Ishizu had noticed Ryou for the first time. She froze, hand extended slightly, like a deer caught in headlights. Then she hissed, "What have you _done _Malik?"

She whipped around, her white robe swirling around her feet. "Odion, come with me. Malik, I want to speak with you." She exited the room.

"Master Malik?" Odion asked, holding out a hand to indicate he should follow.

Malik frowned. "Sorry. This should only take a few minutes. Make yourself at home." He followed them, leaving Ryou alone in the large chamber.

He looked around. There were a few stone benches, hewn out of the walls and floor. For the most part the room was empty. Along one wall was a large shelf. Made of wood, it appeared to be very old. It held books, the leather spines cracked with age. Scrolls piled on top of one another, and rolls of papyrus were in neat rows along the top. Bunches of papers, tied with some sort of string made of rough fibers, were in one alcove.

Walking over, Ryou looked at them uninterestedly. After a moment, he went and sat on one of the benches. He wished he could hear Malik and his sister and what they were talking about, but all he could catch were inaudible mumbles. He guessed they'd turned to speaking in Arabic anyways.

Staring blankly at the floor, he pulled out the Millennium Ring. He felt the Pharaoh, present in the forefront of his mind, tense. Ryou tied the rope quickly, just before his arms began feeling like they weighed a thousand pounds apiece.

'_**Why do you want him back? Explain your reasoning. Is it that you want to bring about world destruction?' **_

"I wish you would mind your own business." Ryou muttered.

'_**You are my business.' **_The Pharaoh appeared ethereally beside Ryou. He wore one of the school uniform jackets with a black shirt beneath it and a pair of black leather pants, not imitating Ryou's clothing like Bakura did. Standing, he looked down at him.

'_Listen, I don't know. But it's like…I feel _weird _without it.'_

'_**It's a Millennium Item. They tie themselves to their owners…your connection to the Ring is strong, apparently. It will take time, but you need to let it go.' **_His voice in Ryou's mind was comforting, but he brushed it away.

'What about you? Do you want me to ditch the Puzzle as well? You're just as bad as him.'

The Pharaoh seemed offended. He gave Ryou a mildly hurt look, managing to maintain his regal appearance at the same time. _**'I am nothing like him. Our goals are polar opposites.'**_

'Your habits of annoying me aren't.'

'**If Bakura bothers you so much than why are you so eager to take him back? Your…attachment to the Millennium Ring will only get harder to sever, and I can guarantee that Bakura won't change in any way.'**

Ryou sighed. _'Am I going to become attached to the Puzzle?' _

'**Not so quickly, and not so strongly I'd guess. But given time, all the items connect with the owners.'**

'Why's that? I got the Ring and the Puzzle at practically the same time.'

Yami seemed slightly uncomfortable. _**'I don't believe that Bakura lied when he said that certain Items are…destined to come to certain mortals.' **_He looked away, the insubstantial Puzzle on his chest glimmering._** 'Perhaps it was destiny that you receive the Ring though I think you handled it the wrong way when you didn't fight Bakura, but agreed to his terms. What I mean is that if this theory of 'destiny' is true, than it was destined that Yugi receive the puzzle, not you. Our connection, like yours and the Thief's, was very strong. It was broken when Bakura stole the Puzzle, but for hours afterwards I could still feel my Hikari's soul.'**_

'_Your point?' _Ryou asked impatiently.

'**Perhaps the connection with your destined Item is the most prominent and the strongest, while the others are less defined and take more time to grow.' **

Silently, Ryou looked at the Ring in his hands. He noticed that, due to their distracting conversation, Yami's mental hold over his arms had lightened. He had no doubt that he could put the Ring on right now, but he was uncertain.

If he didn't, he could go back to Japan as soon as the bus returned to the town. He could just abandon this wild mission he'd been shanghaied into. Return the Puzzle to Yugi, donate the Eye to a museum, put the Ring in a box and shove it under his bed. Why not? All he had to do was put the Ring back in his bag, and not say another word about it.

But he couldn't do that either.

He was so confused. What did he want? He felt like he was looking for something, trying to reach for some unseen goal. He didn't think that World Destruction quite fit the description, but at the same time it was vague, and unbelievable enough to give him some sense of purpose. Honestly, all his life had been a few weeks previous and throughout much of his early teens was lazing around, watching TV, not caring. Now he was _doing _something.

Was that it, the need to be acting on a decision, whether his or someone else's? The fact that the decision he was _acting_ on happened to be revenge in the large scale apparently didn't make a difference. Ryou really didn't know what to think.

'_**Ryou?' **_

"Ryou?"

The Pharaoh's ethereal form disappeared as Malik entered the chamber again. Seeing Ryou, holding the Millennium Ring with a confused look on his face he said, "Are you ok?"

"Oh yea, I'm fine…just thinking."

"Alright. Sorry about that. My sister is…sensitive about these things."

Ryou winced dramatically, stuffing the Ring back in the bag. "Sorry. Didn't mean to cause contention within the family."

"Yeah right. Ryou, the problems in this family go much farther than me bringing a foreign stranger home with me."

Ryou stood up. "So what's the verdict?"

Malik looked at him, confused.

"You know, do you want me to leave? Your sister and the guy with the tattoos didn't seem to thrilled about me being here."

"Leave? Around here, I decide what happens." He fixed his gaze on a distant spot, his voice serious. "I might be younger than Ishizu, but I'm more assertive than she is, and she knows it. And Odion already treats me like he's my slave. I told them you're staying for the week, and they really don't have a say in the matter."

_Ok_ Ryou thought _Malik is officially stranger than me. I didn't like how things worked with my dad, so I ditched my family, or what's left of it. He, on the other hand, just controls his. _

"Anyways, if you want, I'll show you where you'll stay. There's a spare cot in my 'room', if you don't mind that. Or there's a few empty bedchambers, those small ones I told you about, since my parent's died. Personally, I'd feel weird being alone in a set of unfamiliar, man-made subterranean caves, but if you're not comfortable then that's understandable." Malik led Ryou into the next lit chamber through the large exit.

It had a large square table-like block of stone in the middle. The edges of the room had trenches that had rows of fire blazing in them. There were breaks in the trenches where empty doorways led to more rooms and tunnels. There were three doors that diverged from this one chamber. Ryou looked back at the large entryway they'd come in, noticing that a thick curtain was rolled up on top of the entry so that, presumably, if one wanted to close the chamber off they could by releasing the dusty curtain.

Ryou considered his options for a moment. "I don't mind using the extra cot." He decided. "You're right, alone down here in this maze isn't sounding very appealing."

"If I hadn't lived here my whole life, I'd find it unappealing too." Malik agreed then added, "Just in way of information, this is the room where, if my father was correct and this was a place for cult members to meet, they would've paid their tributes to their gods of Egypt."

Ryou looked at the square table, "Did they sacrifice people?"

"No, Egyptians didn't sacrifice. But they paid tribute by marking themselves with symbols to show their faith and loyalty and to bind themselves to the Pharaoh and the gods...somewhat like Odion has. It is possible that they also mummified animals here because of their sacred place in the Egyptian culture, though mummies, like I said, have never been discovered here according to the records we've kept. Not even animal mummies."

Sweeping the room with his eyes a second time, Ryou noticed the hieroglyphs that covered the walls and ceiling. In some spots the rock walls had worn away, leaving chunks of blank wall and disjointed symbols behind. The characters were etched into the walls carefully and precisely. On the table in the center, the ancient words lined the sides. Egyptian people, portraits of men and women in varying designs, were painted on each corner as well.

"On the other hand, if it was simply a tomb that was never put into good use, than this would be where the main casket would be placed, and it would have been surrounded by the riches and personal belongings of the mummified Egyptian."

"Hmm. So which do you think it is?" Ryou asked, brushing his fingers on the table in the center and adjusting his bag so it was on his other shoulder.

Malik hesitated slightly as though thinking through his response carefully, Ryou noticed. Were there things he wasn't allowed to reveal; secrets that had to be kept? It would make sense that a family living in a unused tomb-slash-cult place would have some obscure pieces of information that they wouldn't want to hand out. Information like why they were living in the tomb-slash-cult cave in the first place, and why they'd been living there for _generations_, and why Malik wasn't allowed to go outside. Mysteries like what Malik's duties as a 'Tomb-Keeper' were, and why did they have not one, but two Millennium Items? Like why they supposedly couldn't read the hieroglyphs because of their uniqueness, and yet they still knew what the table-room had been and was meant to be used for.

Or maybe Ryou was reading too far into it. It wasn't that hard to figure out what ancient civilizations had used giant stone tables for.

"Tomb or cult?" The Egyptian said thoughtfully. "I don't know, really. But it'd be more interesting if it were a cult. Anyways, my chamber is this way." Malik gestured to the door on the right. It was a black rectangle, and Malik pulled a torch out of one of the metal holders before he went in. There was a short hall, than another dark doorway that Malik entered.

He lit a candle, and two more torches, giving light to the small square room.

It had a bed on one side, a simple wooden frame with a thin mattress and cotton blankets. A desk was beside it, and a wood stool. The desk had a candle, which Malik had lit, and a small pile of scrolls. There was a sheet of paper with two rows of standard hieroglyphs written in dark blue ink. The pen, (it was actually a quill, which Ryou found to be practically medieval) lay beside a silver inkwell.

On the floor were more scrolls, clustered neatly together, and two large leather bound books.

The far side of the room had a smaller hammock-style cot made of a fabric that was softer than cotton, though not by much. Ryou dropped his bag on the floor beside it.

"So this is it…" Malik said with his voice slightly muffled as he was pulling his cloak over his head. He let out a gasp as his head was freed from its purple folds, and tossed it carelessly on his bed. Underneath he wore a pair of tan cargo pants, like Odion's, and a dark gray hoodie that bared his arms and an inch or so of his flat stomach. He kicked his sandals off his feet and slid them under his bed. Then he stepped into a pair of black tennis shoes.

He sat down on the stool beside the desk, and lifted a hand to his brow. He carefully extracted the golden headband from his hair, being sure not to tangle it, and finally placed the expensive looking accessory on his desk.

Ryou sat down on the cot he would be using and swung it back of forth with his weight. Malik grudgingly told him he had to keep working on whatever it was he was writing on the paper, but continued to talk to him.

Ryou was forced to dominate the conversation for the most part because Malik continued to ask questions about the places he'd lived, about his friends, about school. Occasionally Ryou asked him a question, but it was obvious that Malik was keeping the conversation trained away from him.

"So you're here alone?" Malik asked, pausing in his writing. By this time he had covered two pages front and back and was moving onto another clean sheet.

Ryou rolled his eyes. "Talk about asking the obvious. Yea, I'm here alone." Although he didn't feel alone. Ever.

"Why? This 'collection' you're after is so important that you went collecting it alone?" The quill began scratching over the paper quickly again, tiny pictures quickly filling the blank spaces.

Ryou sighed. He'd veered away from the topic of his family for the entire extent of their conversation. "I don't have a family. I live alone."

"No parents or brothers or sisters?"

Gazing at the flickering candle flame Ryou answered, "My dad is still alive. His name is Sean, but I haven't lived with him since…oh when was it. I think I was thirteen when I went to a local boarding home. And I just moved from England to Japan a month ago. It wasn't that much of a difference honestly. He's an archeologist, so he wasn't home very much. I saw him a few weeks ago when he came to see how I'd settled into Japan, but I sort of yelled at him."

Malik nodded distractedly. "When I was little, my father was so strict about what I could and couldn't do. I never was allowed to play, I just studied scrolls and rewrote old documents like I am now." He put the quill in the inkwell and shifted so he was facing Ryou again. "He was murdered when I was twelve."

"Murdered?" Ryou repeated. "You live in a cave, who would have murdered him?"

"I don't know who he was. I hardly remember what happened as it is. I passed out when it happened."

Silence filled the room seeming muffled because of the warmth provided by the torches. Ryou looked at his watch, glad that he'd gotten it, though he preferred his phone. It said 11:00 AM, but that was Florida's time. Ryou counted in his head, but finally gave up, asking Malik what time it was.

He shrugged then looked at the candles burning on his desk, judging how far they'd burned down. "Well, it's been about three hours or so since we got here…I'd say it's about six."

Ryou pressed the buttons on his watch until it said 6:00 PM. Better to be close to the right time than be going by the time in a different country. After another few minutes of listening to Malik's quill skitter over the page there was a whisper of paper over paper, and Malik grabbed a new sheet.

"Are you hungry?" He asked suddenly, abandoning his quill.

"I'm fine. You look like you're still busy anyways."

Malik stood up and shook his hands out. "Well, I'm going to get some food because I feel like I could eat a cow right now. Not to mention that I despise this bookwork Ishizu continues to make me do. I could just stop if I wanted, but that might drive her over the edge." He grabbed a torch and Ryou followed him out of the room.

They made their way to what Malik jokingly called the kitchen. In reality it was a small room full of food that could probably last a decade and still be good to eat. In one corner were the fruits and vegetables.

"Whenever we want fresh meat," Malik explained, "we have to go to the village and get it, bring it back, and then clean, cook, and prepare it right then. Otherwise it will go bad, and we can't have live animals living down here anyways."

He snatched some sort of tropical looking fruit from the box of fruits and tossed one at Ryou who caught it in his left hand.

They returned to Malik's chamber, munching on the fruits, and Malik started where he'd left off on writing the Egyptian glyphs. He continued to ask Ryou about his interests, seemingly just trying to keep the conversation going. Ryou thought he'd revealed more about himself to this Egyptian teen in one day then he'd ever revealed to anyone, even his dad. Favorite music, bands, hobbies, interests, and places he'd been; all came out at some point during the course of the evening.

Finally, when Ryou's watch said 9:30, Malik suggested they go to sleep. The candles flickered out as Malik breathed on them after kicking his shoes off, the torches hissing as they were doused. The room became pitch black and Ryou was glad he'd already been seated on his cot because otherwise he'd never have found it.

"I hope the cot is comfortable enough for you to sleep on." Malik's voice emerged from the general direction of his bed.

Ryou shifted his weight, moving the pillow around. "It's great. Thanks for letting me stay, otherwise I'd be out in the desert being swallowed by a giant sand wave."

Malik laughed. "No problem."

Ryou tried to fall asleep, but found it elusive. He'd known all the sleeping on the planes was going to catch up to him. He pressed the "Glow" button on his watch multiple times, checking to see if the hours were moving any faster, but every time he looked it had only been five minutes since he had checked last.

He worked himself into a pattern. Stare at the dark patch that he knew was ceiling, check his watch, shift a bit. Stare at the dark patch that was the ceiling, check his watch, shift a bit more. Then, after doing this for thirty minutes, Ryou had a thought.

He'd taken the puzzle off because, due to its bulkiness, it was harder to sleep with on. The Pharaoh was just a very small patch of awareness, but he seemed to be meditating and was not responsive to Ryou's careful probes.

Throwing up mental walls to hide his thoughts and reminding himself to thank the Pharaoh for teaching him that handy trick, Ryou quietly leaned down to the floor and unzipped his duffel bag. In the light from his watch, the Millennium Ring appeared to glow brightly. He lifted it up so that he was holding it over his head.

He had to press his "Glow" button many times to keep the light on. His insides were eating at him, the choice between keeping and abandoning the Ring itching at his mind.

He carefully considered himself right then. He was mostly alone. The Pharaoh kept to the Puzzle for the most part, allowing him privacy. So Ryou practically had his own mind again. For the first time since he'd received the Ring, he could think his own thoughts and not worry about whether he would be reprimanded for them. He could _do _whatever he wanted, because the only reason he'd been collecting Items was because it was Bakura's purpose and he'd had no choice in the matter (a fact that Bakura had emphasized time and again.) That was what he'd wanted all along, ever since the beginning: freedom, so why was he trying to ruin it?

Finally, after staring at it for almost fifteen minutes under the pale blue light of his watch, weighing each option (and coming to the conclusion that leaving it off had more pros), Ryou hesitantly slipped the rope over his head. The familiar weight fell against his chest. A new, familiar presence filled his consciousness. Its anger was immensely vast, but held in check. Barely

Ryou felt with a searing heat rather than heard the words, _'I'm not very happy with you, Host.' _

His mind grew fuzzy and dark and he felt the awkward sense of himself being pulled into his mind then he dropped into unconsciousness.

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**CONCERNING FUTURE CHAPTERS: **I am going to leave a certain aspect of this story up to _you_. There's obviously going to be a Bakura/Ishtar showdown at some point (whether verbal or physical is undecided). But I need you, my readers, to tell me whether I should put one very iffy character into this story: Yami no Malik (aka Marik). It could go either way, but I don't know. So, Marik or no? Leave it in a review.

Until next time, Sayonara!

BGA


	14. Chapter 14: Return of the Ring

Holy, ARE YOU SERIOUS!? AN UPDATE!?!? Wow, okay, well, I really owe this chapter to **buffy6490. **They (She/He??? Leaning towards She) was the catalyst that started me on this chapter and drove me to get it written through the PM they sent me. Granted it's a slightly shorter chapter, but hey, not by much. Please forgive me for my lack of updating!!!

* * *

Ryou knew as soon as his eyes slipped closed that it wasn't sleep that was going to greet him. He felt the uncomfortably familiar tugging sensation, like a rope had attached to somewhere far inside of him and was now attempting to separate him mind from body. At first he struggled against it. He wasn't all too eager to go and meet the angry spirit, probably furious because he didn't make more of an effort to put the Ring back on, even though it wasn't his fault. It was the stupid, self-righteous 'Pharaoh's' fault. He had physically stopped him from putting it on again... That is until he let his guard down as soon as the lights went out.

Finally, knowing it was inevitable; Ryou let the rope tug him. Instead of out of his body as had happened before, his mind was drawn inward. He grimaced, feeling the weird bodiless sensation, until he began to virtually 'solidify' (since he didn't actually have a body for the moment, it was just becoming more than a invisible patch of sentient thought.)

As soon as the transfer was complete he opened his eyes and looked around warily. He knew that Bakura was somewhere, probably waiting to spring a trap on him or something. He could feel the anger of the spirit like a hot breeze flowing over him, but for now everything seemed calm. A thin silence filled the air around him.

He stood in a long stone corridor. The floor underfoot was composed of bricks worn smooth with what looked like years of being walked over. The entire stone hallway looked scorched as though a fire had blazed through the hall though there was nothing to burn. Black ashen streaks licked the solid brown walls from floor to ceiling. The walls stretched on for around twenty feet in either direction until they were swallowed in dark shadows. Four candles, spaced evenly on the walls in metal brackets, afforded minimal light to the section of hallway he stood in.

A couple yards to the right of him were two doors, one on each side of the hall, directly across from each other. One was unremarkable, brown wood, almost blending in with the stone walls except for the whorls and grains in the wood. The door even had burns covering its surface to match. They were deep black burns, charring the wood in some places so that it was merely an ugly black scar on its surface.

Ryou walked up to it, placing a hand on the mutilated surface of the door. The door was warm, as though it had been burned recently and Ryou pulled his hand away in surprise. The ash now covered his hand, the black staining his skin. Curious, he touched the door again, moving his hand around it and placing it on different areas. Every place he touched was the same temperature…just less than hot, as though it had just been passed momentarily through a furnace. There was a single lock, holding the door closed from intruders. Regardless, he didn't even try the handle, not sure if he wanted to know what was on the inside.

He'd guessed by now what this door led to. His yet-to-be-seen Soul Room. He wasn't eager to see himself displayed like that…from the inside out.

Instead he turned around to face the second door, which was more outstanding. It was composed of a black metal. There were no burns on this door, or if there were the black metal offered a perfect camouflage for them. The door had no handle, but there was a thick, silver bar that, as its title indicated, barred any entrance to the room the door concealed. As with the wooden door, Ryou placed his palm flat against the surface.

He jumped back with a startled yelp. The door had _burned _him. But it hadn't burned with heat. The door had been cold, so cold that his skin had been burned by it. He looked at the skin of his palm, which was a strange mix of white, heated red, and on the tips of his fingers, a very faint ice-burned purple. He flexed the fingers, curling them. His hand tingled numbly, except for his fingers that burned still.

"Just like you Bakura. Impenetrable." Ryou said, glaring at the door.

"You should have known better, Ryou."

He felt a strong hand grip his wrist and press him forward so that he was pinned against a wall, arm twisted uncomfortably behind his back. Crying out in surprise, his voice was cut off, as the air was beat out of him by the force of being thrown against the corridor. He felt cold stone against his face. He was vaguely grateful that Bakura hadn't pushed him against the black metal door.

Bakura's voice, as cold as the stone on his skin, hissed in his ear from behind, "I must say that I'm rather disappointed by your pathetic incompetence." There was a chuckle that grated on Ryou's nerves. "And here I thought that you were more dedicated, smarter than the average pathetic human. Seems when it comes right down to it you're just as foolish as the rest…"

Ryou twisted, elbowing the space that he assumed Bakura stood, and was satisfied with a surprised grunt. He turned, pushing against the arm that held him on the wall, but just as he did Bakura's grip on his arm disappeared and the force of his turn ended with him tripping over his own foot and falling back into the wall again. An amused, yet angry laugh praised him and he turned to face the spirit.

"Do you mind? You could've told me that without shoving me against the bloody wall." Ryou glared hard at him. "And if I were just 'foolish' and 'average' then do you honestly think I would've stuck around when I started talking to dead thieves?" He snapped vehemently. "No, I would've committed myself to an asylum. Because with _you, _that would probably be the _sane_ thing to do." Bakura hit him hard across his face, and he fell back against the wall again. Righting himself, he huffed, grumbling in irritation, "It's not like I asked for your stupid Ring to get stolen. He snuck up on me."

Bakura raised an eyebrow at him. "Your inefficiency to be more aware of your surroundings doesn't excuse your lack of diligence. You should have expected thieves, Yadonushi. You're not in Japan anymore. You're in a town in the middle of nowhere in _Egypt_. Thievery is the only way many of the people make a living. I would know."

"It's not like I didn't get the Ring back, obviously!" Ryou sighed in exasperation, rubbing his now aching jaw. "Everything's fine. Besides, if the Ring _hadn't _been stolen then I wouldn't have been able to track the thief to Malik, I wouldn't have found the owners of two more Items, and I wouldn't have a place to stay."

Bakura's eyes narrowed. "Malik?" He asked, his voice leaking suspicion.

"Yes, Malik. He's the one who stopped the thief. And I'm almost positive that he and his sister, Ishizu, have Millennium Items." A heavy silence filled the space between them as Bakura stood dead still, analyzing Ryou contemplatively, as though weighing the truth of his words.

"Describe the Items." He ordered finally.

"Because you couldn't just take my word for it." Ryou muttered, before describing, "Malik has a small scepter. It has a gold eye on top of it with curved wing-like things on the sides…" He demonstrated vaguely with his hands, ignoring Bakura's smirk at his description. "It also comes apart, and the outside is like a sheath because the whole thing's actually a knife." He remembered the way Malik had cleanly sliced the hand off the thief with the blade. He paused to get Bakura's reaction, but the spirit's face was now expressionless.

"His sister's is a necklace. It's a thick golden loop with another eye right in the center, just like the fraud from the curio stand, but I'm pretty sure this one's real." He stopped.

"Why do you think they're Items." Bakura asked.

"Because they have the exact same eye as on the three that we have." Ryou said. "And they're here, where we came to look for them in the first place. And because they feel…like the Ring and the Puzzle. They feel like they're more than just fancy artifacts." He finished lamely, wondering why he didn't just shut up.

There was another weighty pause while Bakura seemed to consider Ryou's opinion. "The Millennium Rod and the Millennium Necklace." Bakura eventually stated. "Each, like the Ring and Puzzle, has their own unique attributes. The Rod is quite easily the more useful of the two, allowing the bearer to summon the Shadows into this world at will. It can also banish any mind to the Shadow Realm and constrain them there until the Item's bearer chooses to release them." The spirit paced a few steps back and forth, his face speculative. Ryou knew that he was trying to formulate a plan. He could sense the thought process that would undoubtedly end in a Shadow Game between him and Malik, earning him the Millennium Rod and later the Millennium Necklace.

"And of course, among other minor details, the Necklace gives its wearer foresight." Bakura continued suddenly, almost as though to himself.

"Wait," Ryou interrupted him. "Malik's sister can see the future?"

"That is what I just said." Bakura snapped.

"Then why didn't she see us coming?"

Bakura shook his head, unruly white hair almost glimmering in the dull lamplight of the carved out stone corridor, marred by scorch marks, that they stood in. "I couldn't answer that surely, but my guess would be that your possession of two active Items is counteracting the effects of hers. If I'm correct then we're invisible to her foresight."

"And what if you're wrong?"

Bakura smiled. "Then I'm sure the Shadow Game will commence a lot sooner than we first thought. But…" He paused, his grin widening. "Perhaps its time to install the third Item in order to strengthen our defenses."

"Not." Ryou said, glaring. "There's no way I'm ever putting that golden eyeball in my head, even if it is totally useless otherwise. We'll deal with it."

Bakura rolled his eyes. "Do you have a preference for what type of Shadow Game you would like us to play against our friends Malik and Ishizu?"

"Well…" Ryou paused. The other two Items, Pegasus' Eye and Yugi's Puzzle had been easy pickings. Bakura had taken them down without a second glance. But Malik was different. It seemed like he knew more about how to use his Item then Yugi _or _Pegasus. There was just something about how comfortable he was with the disguised weapon. Ryou thought about the way he'd looked coldly at the thief, bleeding to death on the ground; how he'd been so completely indifferent to his own near-homicide. Of course he wasn't scared, but at the same time he didn't necessarily want Malik's anger turned on him. "I want to try to get it without a Shadow Game."

"You're going to steal it?"

"That isn't what I said. I want to try and bargain." A few mental twinges skittered through Ryou's mind, indicating Bakura's displeasure with this plan.

"We already went through this. We gain our Items through Shadow Games, Host." He said.

Ryou ground his teeth. "He offered me a place to stay, and he got back the Ring, so why would you think that I feel like just sending him to the Shadow Realm? Besides, has it ever occurred to you that he might _win _the Shadow Game? Where would we be then?"

"As though this Malik could beat _me _in a Shadow Game. I have a few millennia of practice on my side, in case you forgot." Bakura scoffed.

"All I'm saying is that he isn't like Pegasus, and he definitely isn't like Yugi. He won't be beat easily, and if you aren't more careful your overconfidence is going to ruin your entire little quest."

Bakura took a step towards him. His dark eyes bore into Ryou's. "You want to bargain?" He asked. Ryou nodded. "Fine then, bargain with him. Lets see how _you _handle this with your clever tongue. We'll see how well trying to weasel the Items away from their owners works."

Bakura turned away, as though he were finished with the conversation, but suddenly he turned back, his hand gripping Ryou's shoulder hard. A chill of icy fury leaked through their mental link, a sudden unexpected emotion from his mix of amusement and irritation from moments before. Ryou pulled back in surprise, but Bakura held him in place. His voice was suddenly soft and dangerous. "One more thing, Yadonushi. Don't think that simply because I haven't chosen to stop it that I'm not aware of your lessons in mental defense with the Pharaoh. I've been lenient with you, Host, so I'm not going to punish you. Yet." Ryou held the spirit's gaze, unflinching, as the words sunk in, even though he was cringing inside when a mental ache entered his mind from Bakura's end of their link.

"When did you find out?" Ryou asked, jerking his shoulder away from the spirit's grip.

"Did you think you could hide it?" Bakura laughed. "I've known the entire time, Ryou. You can't conspire with my enemy of 3000 years and expect that I won't be paying attention to it."

"I wasn't conspiring." Ryou snapped haughtily. "I just wanted a little more privacy from a certain unwanted spirit."

"You'd better hope that's all you wanted." Bakura hissed. "You're not to speak with him again. If you do, I'll know." He turned away, walking towards the black door. As he approached, the heavy metal bar lifted and the door swung open without him ever having to touch it. Ryou couldn't see anything inside, only an inky black that Bakura disappeared into. The door slammed closed with a resonating _clang_ and the silver bar crashed down into its place, barring the door once again to anyone and everyone.

He felt the unbearable tugging sensation and knew that Bakura was sending him back to consciousness. He let it pull him, wanting the feeling to be over as soon as possible. As he reentered his body, it took a moment for him to adjust. He just lay on the cot, eyes closed, for how long he couldn't tell, before he opened his eyes and sat up slowly.

Malik was sitting at his desk, quill skittering quietly over the paper as though he'd never taken a break. He turned as Ryou sat up though.

"You slept well, I assume?"

He nodded, since he wasn't going to tell Malik that he actually hadn't gotten any sleep at all, instead he'd been conversing with a spirit and had saved them both from having to deal with the problems that a Shadow Game would cause. He rubbed his eyes against the bright torchlight that filled the room. He could feel Bakura not so gently picking through his memories, filling in the few hours yesterday that he'd been absent, and he was developing a headache in response.

He stood up, stretching, and reached into his bag for a bottle of water, grabbing the Puzzle while he was at it. "It must get pretty boring down here." He mentioned.

Malik grimaced and nodded in agreement. "You don't know how lucky you are that you don't have to live here." He said, and Ryou thought he detected an edge of hostility in the teen's tone. "I've been in this cave, doing this since I was old enough to read and write." He lay the quill down. "My father believed in tradition, and the Ishtar family has always lived here, never leaving."

Ryou was still amazed that the family had been staying in this dark tomb for so many generations. Would they ever join civilization outside the sands surrounding their little village in the middle of nowhere? "Why have you lived here so long? Why not just…leave?" _After all, that's what I did when I didn't like how things worked. _

Malik frowned, his face masking whatever secrets surrounded him and his family. "It's not that easy." He said then changed the subject. "Are you hungry?"

"Sure." He wasn't really, but Ryou wanted an excuse to explore the different chambers more.

'_Are you planning on waiting for an engraved invitation, or are you going to try and _bargain _sometime before my patience with you runs out?' _Bakura snapped, in his mind as he followed Malik from their sleeping chamber.

'_It's been, what, ten minutes? If you've been alive, well, _not dead_, for 3000 years and you haven't developed more patience than that than its any wonder you've gotten as far as you have.' _

'_Don't lecture me, Host.' _

'_I'm not lecturing, I'm just saying that you'll get your Items when you get them, so don't rush me.' _

He and Malik walked through the ritual chamber with the flames encircling the room and the large square table in the center, going back into main chamber with the bookcases. Malik's sister and Odion were sitting on a bench beside each other, engrossed in a conversation. They didn't even notice the two teens come in. Their voices carried over.

"Malik is already opposed to our duties. This English boy could ruin any hopes we have of our brother accepting his place." Ishizu said in distress. Ryou looked at Malik, as they realized that the conversation being held was about them.

Odion was trying to comfort Ishizu. "We must trust that Master Malik knows what he's doing. I'm sure he hasn't forgotten—"

Malik cleared his throat loudly, and both of the adults looked over at them. Ishizu's face was surprised, but as her gaze fell on Ryou it became contemptuously frustrated.

"Do you need something, Master Malik?" Odion asked, breezing over the awkward silence.

"Ryou and I were just getting something to eat, and then I'm going to show him around the caves."

Ishizu forced a small smile. "Of course." She managed. "Odion cooked some eggs from the market this morning. Help yourself." She gestured to the small room to their left.

Ryou followed Malik into the room. Inside was like a stone kitchen; something he thought wouldn't look out of place being used by Neanderthals. Against one wall was an outcropping of stone, like a counter, with deep, square holes on the bottom half, cupboards. Inside were some pots and pans, normal cooking essentials. Along the other side was a stone basin currently filled with water. In another corner was a large, hollow stone cube. The insides had been dug out to form a fireplace, and on top were some metal plates, like a stove. On the back, a stone path let the smoke go up to a hole in the ceiling right above the fireplace, and the smoke escaped into the desert outside.

The room was sweltering because of the large cook fire. Malik grabbed two metal dishes and then walked over to a pan on the stove and began piling some eggs out of it onto the two plates. A wooden bowl of fruits sat on the counter and he grabbed some of those as well. He handed one of the plates over to Ryou.

They went back into the main chamber. Once again, Odion and Ishizu were trapped in a hushed conversation, and once again, they stopped talking as soon as Malik and Ryou entered the room.

"Let's go back to the room to eat before I show you around. You might want to get some shoes on as well." Malik said. "Scorpions and snakes live down here as much as we do."

Ryou looked around, making sure no scorpions were waiting to take a jab at his bare feet, and causing Malik to chuckle before leading the way back through the dark stone halls to the sleeping chamber.

Ryou set his plate down and slipped his shoes on then he picked up his plate and, despite not being hungry, began to eat. He'd barely finished one of the two eggs he had and hadn't even started on the fruit when Malik grabbed a torch and said, "I'll show you around the caves now."

"You couldn't have let me finish first?" Ryou asked.

"The sooner you know your way around the better. Then I won't have to escort you everywhere." Malik said with a grin.

Ryou shrugged. "You could just let me get lost. Then you wouldn't have to deal with me at all."

'_Wouldn't that be nice._' Bakura interjected.

Ryou growled internally. _'It'd be nice if _you_ could get lost.' _

'_All you needed to do was donate the Ring to Malik.' _Bakura said snidely _'You were considering it long enough.' _

'_But I _didn't _so let it go already. You're worse then a girl.'_

Malik and Ryou went into the sacrificial/ritual chamber that was along the path from Malik's sleeping chamber.

"I'm not going to re-explain this chamber, if you don't mind." Malik said. "But those two doors lead to Ishizu's and Odion's rooms." He pointed to the other two dark doorways. They walked back all the way past the room with the well and the hole in the ceiling until they were at the fork. Malik took them down the left path, which gently sloped even deeper into the earth.

There was a large chamber. It was the size of both the ritual chamber and the chamber with the bookshelves combined. In the middle was a hole. A small wall of large bricks bordered the hole, but it was crumbling and broken in many spots.

"Welcome to the prisoner hold." Malik said. He lit the torches along the sides of the room, illuminating it. "My generation, and my fathers, never used this room. But in the past, when-and-if this was still a cult, any opposition to this sect of the religion would be captured and held there, presumably till death."

Ryou leaned over the side, trying to see into the dark pit. "What would it be used for assuming this was a tomb?" He asked, listening to the echo his voice made below.

"Slaves, probably." Malik said with a shrug. "They often put live servants in the tombs. Now if you ever feel a little dirty, which tends to be all the time when you live underground, there's a washroom over here."

"You have running water?" Ryou asked incredulously. He remembered how the basin in the kitchen had no faucet. It had been carried there.

Malik walked into a pitch-black chamber. The sound of quietly rushing water echoed and rebounded off the walls, making a loud clamoring that drowned out almost all other noise. "At some point during these caves construction someone decided that a washroom was a necessity." Malik said, practically yelling over the din. "The water comes straight from the Nile, through miles of underground tunnels." He held the torch up.

Ryou was shocked when it turned out to be a very small stream of water, running into a large dark pool in the middle of the room, which had an outlet that ran into another hole and disappeared. It had sounded like a whole river was rushing through the room.

The river slipped back into shadow as Malik and his torch left the room. Ryou followed quickly. They entered silently into the last chamber down the hall.

The torchlight reflected back on the walls as it fell on the treasures inside the room. Gold, mahogany, pottery, furniture, and other random or valuable things cluttered the room.

"The family treasury." Malik explained. "It's been forbidden to even touch the items in this room since they've been put here. This is every valuable and family heirloom ever passed down through the Ishtar line."

"You could take some of this and leave. You wouldn't even have to stay here anymore." Ryou said again, eyes wide at the small piles of gold.

"I don't want money, Ryou." Malik said, his voice distant. "I have other goals, but getting rich quick isn't on the list."

Finally Ryou asked Malik if it was okay if he went up outside, explaining that being underground was going to put him out of his mind. Malik agreed, leaving him at the fork and heading back to the main chambers.

Jogging up the stairs, Ryou could hardly wait to get out and breathe some fresh air. He pushed against the doors, lifting them over his head. With a crash, they fell outwards and hot air flooded around him. He took a deep breath.

It was midday, the sun beaming directly down on him. Heat seeped up from the sand, warming the soles of his feet. He closed the doors again, not wanting to let out all the cool underground air, and then moved over and sat in the shade of a clump of brick wall.

He pulled his hair back, both appreciating and cursing the noonday heat that cooked the air around him. A spirit form appeared beside him. He looked up, expecting it to be Bakura, coming out to pester him more. Instead it was the Pharaoh.

"You're one of the most stubborn humans I've ever met." The pharaoh said irritably.

Ryou shrugged.

"I'm not in the habit of being insulting, but you're an absolute baka, Ryou. You had your life back. You could've gone back to Japan, but instead you chose to continue Bakura's quest for revenge."

"Go ahead, insult me all you want. But it's my life, and I know what I want. And what I want is definitely not back in Japan. Besides, you just want to go back to Yugi. You don't care about me." Ryou said, not meeting the amethyst gaze boring into him.

"I won't deny that I prefer my true Hikari, but you're wrong when you say I don't care. Your stubbornness is the only thing preventing you from seeing that I do have your best interests at heart. Whenever I've tried to help you, you refuse. I tried to help you not make the mistake of letting Bakura back into your mind, but as soon as I gave you a few hours leeway you turned around and welcomed him back regardless." The Pharaoh snapped. Finally he sighed, kneeling down beside Ryou. "Try to see reason, Ryou. I've been through your mind, and I know you're far more intelligent then your schooling scores tell, and so I know that you can see this logically. I know that to you I sound like a broken record, and I know that I'm an unwanted presence in your life. But isn't that what Bakura is as well?"

Ryou didn't answer, but he couldn't help but agree with the Pharaoh on both points. He did sound like a broken record. And both he and Bakura were unwanted presences in his life. He looked over at the corporeal form beside him.

"If you let me help you we can suppress Bakura, and we can undo the damage he's done. Your attachment to the Items will fade quickly, if you let it. You can move on. But don't make the same mistake Bakura did and ruin your life with quests for revenge." The Pharaoh shook his head somberly. "It will only end in hurt."

"How would you know?" Ryou asked coldly, but he was thinking about it. What if the Pharaoh was right? The whole thing did seem mildly overkill. What if he was just getting lost in the thrill of having a 'quest'? "Have you ever gone on a life-ruining quest for revenge?"

"No, but I would think something like that was—" He cut off as a second spirit form appeared. Bakura's appearance was so sudden that Ryou hardly saw him before Bakura kicked him in the side roughly. Knives lanced through his mind in an immediate and cold assault. Then the spirit, whose face was an expressionless mask though Ryou could now feel the anger searing from him, gripped the kneeling Pharaoh by his shirt. With an effortless heave, he dragged him to his feet.

Ryou held his head, trying to fight back against the mental knives, but failing miserably as his mind was reduced to nothing but pain, heat, and anger. Bakura let back a fist and smashed it into the Pharaoh's jaw. The Puzzle-spirit reeled backwards as Bakura released him.

"Keep your idiotic ideas of self-preservation to yourself, Baka Mono. Do everyone a favor and stay away. From my. Hikari." Bakura spat coldly.

The Pharaoh stood back up, looking up to meet Bakura's fierce gaze. "Ryou will make his decision, Tomb-Thief." He said calmly. "You can't seem to be able to admit that it might be one other then the decisions you have in mind."

Bakura did a swift roundhouse, knocking the Pharaoh to the ground again. "Stay in your Puzzle." He hissed. "You've ruined my plans before, I don't intend to let you ruin them again." His face twisted into a smirk. "Besides, you only put Ryou at risk with your intrusions, _Pharaoh_. If you truly value him, as you claim, leave him _alone_, because as long as your meetings with him continue I will make his life a living nightmare."

Ryou staggered to his feet, even as a fresh wave of pain made him cringe and fall back to his knees. He met the gaze of the Puzzle-spirit, and with slight hesitation the spirit receded into the Puzzle. Bakura's face was less controlled now, contorted into a livid expression.

"As for _you_." He snarled, a sharper pain crashing in a wave on Ryou, spreading down his spine and making his hands numb. "I suggest you _bargain _quickly with Malik, namake mono, before you manage to earn yourself a permanent residence in your Soul Room." He knelt down beside Ryou, lifting his chin roughly. "And, since it obviously didn't sink in earlier, let me make myself perfectly clear." Ryou was practically paralyzed, unable to fight back, with the amount of force Bakura was pressing against his mind in wave after crushing wave of mental agitation. "I will not tolerate any sense of disloyalty from you, Hikari. You are my tool. I thought you would've learned this by now. I can use you however I wish, and thus far I've been lenient enough to allow you your own mind. That can change very quickly, however, if you can't keep your mind guarded from that idiot fool of a spirit.

"If he attempts to speak with you then I will make good on my promise Yadonushi. I can make your life miserable, and no amount of mental strength, no manner of 'tough-guy' act, will stop me from reducing you to a lifeless shell of what you are now." He paused, chuckling darkly. "After all, I'm a man of my word."

He leaned back, smirking as Ryou struggled against the mental battle he was fighting, and losing. "Think about it, Hikari." Bakura said, tapping Ryou's forehead and sending a javelin of fire through his mind, before disappearing, but keeping a strong mental presence in the forefront of Ryou's mind. A reminder. The pain subsided in a sudden rush and Ryou collapsed, his hands shaking uncontrollably. It took him a minute to remember how to use his legs and stand up. Though the sun seared down on the Egyptian sands, shivers and cold tremors ran up and down Ryou's arms, a result of the stress, tension, and mental shock he'd just been subjected to.

Carefully, his hands still numb, Ryou grasped the large wooden doors that led into Malik's underground home. It took him three tries before he could grip the thick handles and manage to pull the door from the ground. Dust floated around the dark entrance and Ryou made his way down, stopping to catch his breath every once in a while. He still didn't truly understand how the mental exertion that he made against Bakura ended in physical fatigue.

One thing he did know, though. He needed to get back on Bakura's good side. Ryou couldn't handle many sleepless nights in a row, the punishment Ryou feared would be part of his 'living nightmare'. The mental pressure in his mind was enough to make him wish he _were _in his Soul Room instead of trapped in his own mind with a spirit suddenly intent on keeping him under control on a ever-tightening leash. He needed to get Malik to give him the Millennium Rod, and convince him to get his sister to do the same for her Necklace. Finishing this quest had become more urgent, the whole situation put into a sharper focus with Bakura's mental assault. The sooner he got out of here the better.

Dim candlelight was at the end of the path, and Ryou could vaguely hear the voices of Malik, Ishizu, and Odion.

_Time to bargain_, Ryou thought, bracing himself, and hoping that Malik would prove Bakura wrong and be willing to give up his Item.

* * *

Haha, I have a plan. :) Unfortunately/fortunately (take your pick) I've decided that I'm not going to include Marik in this story. It would overly complicate things and I don't want to risk ruining the storyline by trying to incorporate him in the story. But I still have a plan!!!

By way of information, _Namake Mono_ means "Lazy or Slothful one" and _Baka Mono_ would be "Foolish one" So, yeah, there's your key.

PLEASE **REVIEW** AND TELL ME YOU DON'T HATE ME AND YOU REMEMBER THIS STORY EXISTS!!!


	15. Chapter 15: A Change of Plans

Hey! Updates are nice, ne? Anyways, enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Ryou walked silently into the main room. It was empty, but he could hear the voices of Malik, Ishizu, and Odion from within the kitchen area. He had a feeling that he wasn't supposed to listen in on the conversation, so he crept quietly to the edge of the doorway, straining his ears to catch bits of the conversation. Their whispers carried easily through the silent cavern to his ears. He cursed silently. They were speaking in Arabic. The guttural language was as good as gibberish to him. He tried to listen anyways. Malik sounded tense, angry almost. It seemed like they were arguing…

'_Would you like some help?' _Bakura asked, his voice still irritated from the encounter with the Pharaoh up in the desert.

'_No, I don't need any help from you...' _Ryou started, but then was silent as suddenly the words that Malik, Ishizu, and Odion were speaking made sense. They hadn't started speaking in English (or Japanese) but Ryou could understand them as well as either of his fluent languages. He could feel Bakura in his mind, translating the words as he heard them and hence allowing him to understand the foreign language.

"…and he already knows what he's doing. He avoided all questions that concerned the Millennium Items, and why else would he have come to Egypt? He's searching for them." Came Malik's voice. Ryou frowned. Malik's voice was hard and clipped, not anything like it had been when they'd been talking.

Ishizu spoke up, sounding flustered by Malik's revelation. "What do you mean? How could he know what he's supposed to do? He couldn't possibly have found out the key to unlocking the Pharaoh's memories. Not without you!"

The Pharaoh? Ryou wondered how they knew about him. How much they knew about all of this. Maybe if they knew about the Items they'd be more willing to help him after all…that is, if he told them that it _was _for the Pharaoh and not the spirit directly opposing him.

"Ryou is fabricating the entire reason for his possession of the Items, Ishizu, claiming he's a collector." Malik voiced, arguing. "He avoided any topic that would lead to them. The only reason I could come up with is that he already knows what he's doing. If that's true, than our entire 'purpose' is pointless!"

"No, our duty is to the Pharaoh. It's been that way forever." His sister objected.

"I've wasted my childhood in this tomb, waiting for the Pharaoh. I suffered father's disciplines and the work he made me do for my whole life. Now we've discovered the Pharaoh's vessel and he doesn't even need our help."

'_How amusing.' _Bakura said. _'They believe you are the Pharaoh's true Hikari.'_

'_I'm sure that to you that makes sense, but I have no idea what they're talking about.' _Ryou said callously, prompting the spirit for an explanation.

'_It means that Yugi was destined to free the Pharaoh. You robbed him of that fate though, and of course it isn't _your _destiny to help the Pharaoh. Your only duty is to me.' _

For the first time since Ryou had begun listening, Odion spoke. His voice was deep and he sounded like he was attempting to console Malik, who sounded more and more angry as the conversation progressed. "Master Malik, he can't know about the Millennium Stone. That's illogical. For this teen to know so much…what you're suggesting is impossible. It goes against everything the Tomb-Keeper's have predicted."

'_...What is the Millennium Stone?' _Ryou asked, suddenly curious.

'_Later._' Bakura snapped back.

"I'm aware of what is and isn't logical. But I am telling you that Ryou knows more than he's telling. Regardless of my inferences, why would he have two of the Items if not because he knows he's supposed to gather them?" Malik asked in frustration.

A tense moment of silence followed his questions as no one was quite sure how to answer. Ryou didn't doubt he could've heard a pin drop in the dead quiet. Finally Ishizu broke the silence. "Brother. Listen to what you're saying. You're telling us that this boy from Japan has received the Millennium Puzzle, and that he is the Pharaoh's chosen Host. You're telling us that he has an uncanny knowledge of how he is supposed to unlock the Pharaoh's past; how he is supposed to guide him to the after life. And he knows all of this when it has been kept secret within our family since the time of the Pharaohs! Those secrets have _never_ left these walls."

Things were beginning to make more sense, but with every answer Ryou got, more questions seemed to crop up. '_So it is a cult, sort of. A cult dedicated to the same Pharaoh I have driving me to insanity, and it's still completely dedicated apparently. How have these people lived here all this time? I mean, back then it was one thing, but enough is enough. If it were me I would just forget it.'_

'_It's called devotion, Yadonushi. A concept I'm sure you aren't familiar with. This line of people has been devoted, body and soul, to the Pharaoh since he was alive. But obviously things are changing. Malik doesn't seem to like the family business.' _Bakura replied.

The point was proven as Malik said, almost like he was agreeing with Bakura, "I'm tired of this, sister. We're serving a Pharaoh's who is _dead_. I've dedicated my life to him, and I'm tired of this. I've been alone my whole life; I want to start living! If he has returned, using Ryou as a vessel, then it's obvious he doesn't need our help. He isn't fit to be called Pharaoh anymore."

"Brother, _please_. Listen to yourself. Father would've never—"

"Father is dead!" Malik snapped. There was a long pause before Malik sighed noncommittally. "I'm sorry, Ishizu. Perhaps this is coincidence." He didn't sound at all convinced. "But I don't think we should leave it to chance."

"Malik what do you mean?" Ishizu asked desperately, but at that moment Malik came out of the kitchen, his face fixed in a determined scowl. Ryou straightened quickly, leaning against the wall as though he'd just been relaxing there nonchalantly.

Malik looked at him in surprise. "I thought you were outside."

Ryou shrugged. "It got kind of hot."

Narrowed violet eyes examined him. Eyes that didn't seem quite as friendly as they had less then an hour before. "I apologize. I was just discussing who's going to the market today to get some fresh produce. Ishizu doesn't want me going out again, naturally." He said.

_Sure you were_. "Oh. Well if you're going then I'd like to come." Ryou told him truthfully, pushing off from the wall and going to stand by Malik.

"I'm not going. Actually she wanted to go herself. She and Odion will be leaving shortly and returning later this evening."

_Why are you lying, Malik? _Ryou thought to himself. _If you think I know everything what do you have to hide? _

"How long have you been back down here?" Malik asked innocently, but Ryou knew that he wanted to know how much of the conversation Ryou had heard (regardless of the fact that they'd been speaking in Arabic, which Ryou supposedly didn't know.)

Shrugging, like he wasn't sure, Ryou said, "I don't know, maybe a minute. You sounded busy so I didn't interrupt."

Malik rubbed his hand along the Millennium Rod. "I apologize if I kept you waiting." He said. "I have to return to my studies for a while. If you'd like to visit the town again today, well, it's not hard to find. But you could go with my sister and Odion if you'd like." He turned, heading in the direction of his room.

'_Do it _now!_' _Bakura hissed in Ryou's mind. _'Or I'll handle it myself.' _

Ryou groaned silently in frustration. The last thing he wanted right then was another confrontation. He hesitantly followed, going back towards Malik's room. He was just going to say it, ask for the Item, say that they fit his 'collection' and he'd be willing to pay for them. Or trade, if that was what he wanted. In fact, he'd just tell him that he needed them, and he'd meet any price Malik set. Simple. But he knew it would be easier said than done. Contemplating trading the Millennium Ring was so far out of his mind that he didn't know how Malik, who'd obviously had his Item longer, would react. If he reacted violently, well, Ryou was grateful for his years of practice within small gangs and ridding himself of immature teenagers who tried to pick on him.

Torchlight had the small room in shadow, and Malik was only half-visible in the dim light. Ryou glanced at the Millennium Rod, hanging through a belt loop at the Egyptian teen's hip. He stood against the wall, in the shadow between the spaces lit by torches, and crossed his arms over his chest, not unlike he imagined Bakura would've.

"We need to talk, Malik." He said, his voice hard.

"Hm." Malik said, not looking up. "I assumed this would come up."

"I just want to make a deal. I noticed that your knife, to put it simply, fits in quite well with my collection. What would you want in exchange for it?"

Malik finished a few lines of text, keeping Ryou standing there awkwardly, before he finally stood up. He pulled his Item up from his hip and held it out in front of him in one swift movement. "Cards on the table, Ryou." He said, face serious, Millennium Item pointed at him. "I know you know about the Millennium Items."

"Yes." Ryou said, hesitant, his voice cold under the sudden potential threat of the Millennium Rod. "And, as I've mentioned, I happen to be a collector."

"For what purpose are you collecting them, exactly?" Malik sneered, his face unfamiliar and resentful. Ryou now realized that Malik had been acting ever since they'd met in the village. He'd played Ryou, inviting him here to find out why he had the Items, and it seemed that Malik's true face, wasn't as laid back and easy going as the one he'd let Ryou see. _I let my guard drop because he seemed friendly, he had an Item…and maybe because at first I thought he actually might accept me as a friend_. He thought, angry with himself for his gullible stupidity. Bakura was going to have a ball coming back at him for this one.

"A collection doesn't have to have a purpose." Ryou said stubbornly in retaliation, leaning forward, hands curled into fists. He almost hoped Malik _would_ attack him so that he could take out his frustration with his own trustfulness on him. Instead, the Egyptian smirked and drew the Millennium Rod back to himself.

"Perhaps my sister is right, and you don't know anything about the secrets of your Millennium Puzzle…" He mused, relaxing back into his chair. Then he laughed, "But I doubt it."

Ryou didn't relax as Malik had, keeping his tense stance against the wall. "I can pay you for it." He said carefully.

"So you want to bargain for my Millennium Rod, Ryou?" Malik asked. "I'll tell you immediately that I'm not interested in money, as I said before. But, for this 'collection', what would you be willing to pay?" Malik's face was thoughtful, turned away from Ryou towards his work. His fingers tapped patiently against the knife in his hand.

"I'll pay any price." Ryou said slowly, not sure what Malik was getting at. What was Malik planning? He could see the teen's mind working through his passive face, as though he were elaborating on details Ryou didn't know.

"Would you be willing to pay for my Rod through service?" Malik asked, his voice still sharp. It seemed the friendly, helpful Malik wasn't coming back.

"Like working for you." Ryou clarified. "Is that what you mean?"

Malik stood up. "What I mean is would you be willing to _serve me_ in exchange for my Millennium Item?"

Ryou snorted. "I'm not likely to be your slave, Malik. I'm my own master." He ignored the Spirit's amused laugh at this comment.

The bronze-skinned teen paused, looking away from Ryou. "You see, Ryou, I have a sort of collection myself, and my collection is missing a few key pieces before it can be complete." Malik explained vaguely, throwing him a sideways glance. "I need help getting those last few pieces. Originally I was planning on taking Odion. He's as good as a slave to me anyways… But I think that you would serve me better than Odion simply because you are ambitious. And ambition will drive people to any extremes to get whatever it is they desire. If you desire my Item, then your ambition will lead you to it." He smiled. "My own ambition is what drives me, Ryou. In that aspect, you and I aren't so very different after all."

How serious was Malik about this 'service' thing, and how for would he take it? Would he begin ordering him around, or would it be more of a partnership? More importantly, could Ryou even handle any more deals? He had a deal with Bakura to get the Items, a deal with the Pharaoh to _try _and prevent world destruction, but could he keep up both of those and still agree to serve Malik in whatever _his _quest was? He sighed silently. _This is entirely too messed up to be worth it._ He thought to himself.

"I'll do it." Ryou said, "With two conditions." Malik nodded, a smile tugging at one corner of his mouth. "I'm not going to be your slave. I'll help you, but you're not going to start ordering me around and treating me like dirt. As far as I'm concerned, we're each working together to get what we want, and that makes us equal. Second. I want more than just your Millennium Rod. I also want your sister's necklace."

Malik answered immediately, without hesitation. "Very well. The Millennium Tauk shall be yours."

Malik peered around the corner into the large cavern with the table (what Ryou had started thinking of as the 'sacrificial' chamber). Ryou followed closely behind, trying to shut out Bakura's angry jabs and insults.

'_If you'd put aside your childish human emotions for 10 minutes we could already have the Rod and the Necklace. Of course, you pride yourself on your detachment from the rest of the world, but in reality you're weak and defenseless and small, and you just want _friends_. Just like every other pathetic mortal it has been my misfortune to come into contact with.'_

'_Give it a rest!' _Ryou snapped. _'We're just taking a little detour. I've practically already got them. We just need to help Malik.' _

'_And you think I care? I have one goal, the Items. I agreed to let you help me, and yet you've only proven your incompetence time and again. I couldn't care less about this brat, only that you put us and our goals beneath him.'_

'_You're such a prick.' _

'_I could say the same for you, Hikari.' _

The cavern was empty, only a few dim candles flickering here and there, providing hardly any light at all. It was late, Ryou wasn't sure exactly what time but according to his very-off watch it was around midnight. According to Malik, they were going to sneak in, steal the Millennium Necklace from Ishizu, and then they would go back to the town where some of Malik's other 'henchmen' were waiting for him as they did every night, always prepared for Malik's escape. He'd been planning this for months, apparently, waiting for the right time. He'd planned on taking Odion, as he'd said, but Ryou seemed to be a better choice.

A dark black square was all that Ryou could see into Ishizu's room. Malik whispered into it silently, Rod held tightly in his hand, while Ryou waited just outside the door. A yellow light crept across the floor from inside, and Ryou poked his head around the corner, curious. Ishizu was sleeping, completely still, eyes closed, but she was completely encased in a soft, glowing yellow light. Malik was holding the Rod up, which was also glowing gently. Quickly, Malik slipped his hand around his sister's neck and undid the clasp to the Necklace. As soon as it was free, he left the room, leaving her trapped in the yellow light.

He held out the Necklace, dropping it into Ryou's hands. "Your down payment." He said. Then began to hurry back into his room. He came out holding his purple cloak, and he put it on quickly over his tan pants and midriff-bearing tank top. Suddenly he tossed a second one at Ryou. "Put it on." He ordered quietly, disappearing back into his room.

Ryou looked at the dark purple cloak distastefully. It had a few gold chains and clasps on the front and a golden eye sown onto the hood. He looked up as Malik reentered the cavern, now wearing his thick gold headband and carrying Ryou's duffel bag. He tossed this at Ryou as well.

"If you think I'm going to wear this you're mad." Ryou hissed.

Malik rolled his eyes. "You wear it, or you don't come with me and get your Item." He flipped the Millennium Rod around in his hand for emphasis.

Ryou sighed. _'The things I do for you Bakura.' _

'_Don't start, baka. I should make you suffer far worse punishment than wearing a cloak for the delays you've caused.' _Bakura growled icily.

Ryou lifted the cloak up and slipped it down over his head. It was too big. _Of course_ he thought _it was made for Odion, not me. _

Seeing the look on Ryou's face, Malik said, "I'll get one that's better fitted later, when we enter the village… For now you don't have to wear it." He slipped the cloak back over his head.

"Master Malik?" A deep voice rang in the cavern. Everything seemed to freeze for a moment as the instinctual panic of getting caught in the action of doing something wrong flooded the cavern. It lasted only a second before Ryou flipped around, tense.

Odion stood in the door between the cavern and his room, wearing only a faded pair of cotton pants. His tattooed face looked harder, more chiseled and stony, in the wavering light of the remaining lit torches in the room. Malik stood where he'd been, packing some more supplies into Ryou's duffel bag (the only bag he said they'd be taking). He turned slowly, facing Odion. Though the man far outsized the teen, Malik had more presence. He seemed to emit confidence and control; he knew that he was in control, the leader.

"May I ask what you're doing up so late, Master?" Odion asked. Malik's face fell, to Ryou's surprise. He hadn't thought the teen would back down so easily, especially not with how he'd acted earlier. Head slightly bowed, he walked over to Odion.

"I'm sorry, Odion." He said. "I wish that I didn't have to make you a part of this." Suddenly Malik jumped to action, and before Odion could even react, lifted his Rod and smashed it against the back of his head. The thud was sickening, and Odion dropped like a rock. Malik held up the Rod and it began glowing as it had before. His eyes took on a crimson tinge, and the yellow light, the same light that still trapped Ishizu, completely covered Odion's motionless form. The Millennium Rod glimmered and Malik's eyes returned to their normal violet color. Tucking the Rod inside his robe, he turned away towards Ryou.

"We're leaving now." He said, not bothering to stifle his voice now that anyone who would've heard was trapped in his Shadow Spell. Ryou donned the duffel bag, throwing it over his shoulder, and followed Malik as he led them to the surface.

The moonlight was spilling over the sand like molten silver. It bathed the desert in a white glow. Stars twinkled brilliantly in the skies above. Malik didn't even glance at them, and began to hurry across the sands towards the dark smudge on the horizon that was the village. They got there quickly, and began weaving their way through the maze-like bazaar. The village was eerily silent with no one out and about in the street. No bustling vendors, no bleating goats or squawking chickens… just perfect silence. They turned into a side alley, cutting through to another dirt street. A large brick building with, to Ryou's surprise, a big metal door was where the finally stopped. It looked like a garage. Malik punched in a few buttons on a side panel and the door slid up. He went into the pitch-black building, and then flipped on a switch. A single light bulb flickered to life above them.

Two motorcycles sat, shining, in the middle of the garage. One was a bright red, and the other a glittering copper, the same color as the desert sand. It seemed Malik _had _been spending some of the Ishtar fortune. Ryou turned, looking outside, but his attention was quickly diverted. More than a dozen purple-robed figures, their cloaks nearly identical to Malik's, were suddenly standing around the room, in front of the door, along the walls, all staring with reverence at the young Egyptian. Very few even spared a glance for Ryou, and those who did gave him hostile glares.

Malik didn't pay attention to them, and tossed his leg over the red motorcycle. A cloaked figure stepped forward. "My Master, was your servant, Odion, not going to be your companion on your quest?" He said in Arabic (that Ryou could understand perfectly) with reverent formality.

"Silence, fool, or you shall meet the same fate as him." Malik snapped in the same tongue. The figure glared at Ryou hard, and bowed his head before returning to his place in the line. "Meet the Rare Hunters." Malik introduced, gesturing to the figures. "This is the group I have assembled to help me gather the last pieces to my collection." He turned back to the Rare Hunter who'd first spoken. "Find him a robe." He ordered.

The man grinned, his ugly face leering from under the hood. "I apologize, but there are no extras, Master." He gave Ryou a smug look, as though Ryou were missing out.

Marik frowned. "Fine then, I shall deal with you later." Tossing a black helmet to Ryou, he grabbed his own and slipped it over his head. Ryou did his best not to laugh at the helmet, which to him looked simply ridiculous. It was a light gray, and covered his head like a cap. A pair of large black goggles were on top, and could be pulled down to protect the riders eyes. Ryou's was the same, only in black not gray. He grinned, pulling out a pair of sunglasses from his bag, and tossed the helmet back to Malik.

"I'll take my chances with these." Ryou said.

Malik looked like he might object, but then shrugged. "Your gamble." He said. Ryou slipped the sunglasses over his eyes. In the dark of night it made things nearly impossible to make out. He could just see enough to be able to drive though. The bike was similar to his, though it was larger and an older style. Malik's bike roared to life.

"How are they going to follow us?" Ryou yelled, gesturing towards the Rare Hunters, who stood stock-still around the perimeter of the room.

"They have their own bikes, they'll follow behind."

_Well this is inconspicuous. _Ryou thought sarcastically, revving his own bike. _A bunch of purple-robed freaks riding motorcycles through Egypt. Not noticeable at all_.

The Rare Hunters standing in front of the door parted, allowing Malik to rip out of the garage, the front wheel leaving the ground entirely. Not to be outdone, Ryou held back his bike before letting it shoot out of the garage like a bullet from a gun. Malik's cult members, as Ryou had come to think of them, had disappeared deeper into the garage, probably to get their own bikes. Wondering if Malik had paid for all the bikes himself, Ryou squeezed the gas, pressing more speed out of his bike, weaving in and out of buildings and streets until finally they broke onto open dirt road. Wind whipped around his face, blowing his hair out behind him. The cool night air felt good on his skin.

As they got farther and farther into the desert sands, Ryou looked back and could just see a cloud of dust that indicated the Rare Hunters were following. '_What a bunch of freaks. They let Malik boss them around like he's king of the world. Where did he find all of them?' _Ryou asked Bakura.

_'Does it matter? Those men are desperate. Malik probably offered them some great gift in return for their service, much like he did you.'_

'_It's like they worship him_.' Ryou observed, ignoring the implied insult.

'_This Egyptian seems to love attention. More than likely, he wants to be revered because he's tired of revering the Pharaoh. He's a spoiled child who wants to be cherished as he cherished the living god of Egypt since his birth.' _

'_Pharaoh's don't even rule Egypt anymore. I agree with Malik, this family is wasting its time. If they really think that the Pharaoh is going to come back to life then they're all fools.' _Ryou thought vehemently.

_'They're delusional, Yadonushi, clinging to a time that doesn't exist anymore.'_

Ryou didn't answer. His mind had turned from Malik and his family to the Millennium Items. Everything about them was a mystery, and even what he did know did little to clear the obscuring fog surrounding them. It was obvious that the Items each had their own special powers of sorts, and it was obvious that when they were all together they had some greater purpose (otherwise Bakura wouldn't be searching for them so hard). And in the end, it had something to do with the Millennium Stone. But what_ was _the Millennium Stone? It wasn't an Item, because there were only seven. Was it the connecting piece? The one thing that was needed to put it all together? Possibly, but if that was the case then what happened when you connected them all? He found it hard to believe, as the Pharaoh seemed to believe, that the world would spontaneously combust if the Items were all together. And besides, Odion had said it was needed to help the Pharaoh serve his own purpose. Then…did Bakura and the Pharaoh want the same thing? Everything Ryou had observed said _No_, but Bakura was searching for the Items, and the Pharaoh supposedly needed them and the Millennium Stone according to the Ishtars. But for what?

'_What is the Pharaoh's purpose? What is it that Yugi was supposed to help him do?' _Ryou asked suddenly.

Bakura sighed mentally. _'You ask too many questions, Yadonushi.' _He paused and Ryou didn't think he'd answer, but then he began explaining, '_The Pharaoh's only purpose is to get to the afterlife. He's waited three thousand years to unlock his memories and finally be at rest. It was Yugi's fate to help the Pharaoh accomplish this.' _

'_Do you want to tell me what the Millennium Stone is now?' _Ryou tried for the second time.

'_The Millennium Stone is the key to the afterlife.'_

Though he considered asking more questions, Ryou decided that he had enough to mull over for the night. Malik had pulled far ahead of Ryou and was completely shrouded in his own cloud of sand and dust. Accelerating to catch up, another question came to mind. What was Malik's collection? He'd never explained, and Ryou had never asked. He put it on his list of things to ask about later.

They'd been driving for at least a few hours when they took a turn, leaving the dirt road behind. The road they were on now was more crowded (as in, there were actually cars on it) and in the distance and small smidgen of lights on the horizon, like a line of fallen stars, indicated they were nearing Egypt's capital, Cairo. The sun was just beginning to rise, wiping away the silver with a layer of glowing bronze. As the sun continued its exodus across the lightening sky, the desert sands were lit on fire. They reflected the sun's rays back up onto the wisps of cloud in the endless sky. In the distance, like tiny child's blocks, you could see the Pyramids of Giza. Giant monoliths dedicated to ancient kings, they stood almost in defiance of the flat desert sands.

Before long Malik and Ryou were deep in the jungle of Cairo. Though Ryou was pulled up alongside the Egyptian—who looked seriously out of place wearing his purple robe—the din of the city wouldn't allow him to ask where they were going. The light changed and they pulled away again, weaving down side streets and cutting across wide alleys when they could find them. Ryou didn't know how Malik's other Rare Hunters were ever going to find him in this mess, but then it occurred to him that there was probably a set destination that he just didn't know about.

Malik took a sudden turn, swinging around a tall building into an alley where he finally stopped. Pulling up alongside him, Ryou stepped of his bike and pulled his sunglasses off his face. They were in the shadow of two large office buildings, though the buildings looked old and unused. Ryou followed Malik into a side door on one of them, entering into a dark room with no other exits except for a hole in the ceiling, reachable by a metal ladder to the side. Ryou eyed it, wondering what the point of such a weird escape route was.

A small woman was sitting casually behind a desk in what Ryou could only guess now was an office. She eyed Malik, but didn't seem surprised by him. On the other hand, the look she gave Ryou said that she didn't expect him at all, and he was an anomaly from her regular customers. Customers like Malik.

"I've come regarding information I ordered. I had one of my associates register the information I wanted, now I want results." Malik said coldly in Arabic.

"You're the leader of the Rare Hunters?" She asked, obviously disbelieving as she looked him up and down, taking in his age.

Malik smiled, "Don't make me prove it."

She nodded, as though sensing that he wouldn't react well to denying him. "Very well." She pulled out a large filing box and began flipping through folder after folder. Finally she pulled out a small manila folder, pulling out a sheet and began summarizing it. "You wanted information on the location of three items, creator: Maximilian J Pegasus, hidden by one Ishizu Ishtar, member of the family of Tomb-Keepers, a few years ago after meeting with the creator. Correct?"

"Correct." He said, accepting the folder. He flipped through its contents quickly, as though ensuring their accuracy. Satisfied, he gestured to Ryou and they went back outside.

"What do you need with Pegasus?" Ryou asked, remembering that he wasn't supposed to be able to understand Arabic.

Malik looked at him, his gaze sharp, suspicious. "I'm surprised you caught that. I have need for some items he created, for my collection. He entrusted their safety to my sister. She hid them well, but it's easy to get information when you utilize the right resources."

"I just hope that your collection is worth all the trouble." Ryou muttered as Malik hopped back onto the bike then it roared to life, and Ryou's words were drowned in a cacophony of motorized growls. Malik hadn't heard, or if he had he chose not to answer. A cloud of papers swirled up as the motorcycle kicked off, spinning out of the alley and back onto the busy streets of Cairo.

Following was difficult in the snail-like traffic, but Ryou managed to keep an eye on Malik while still maneuvering the heavy commute. Suddenly another pair of motorcycles was behind him. It seemed the Rare Hunters were capable of finding their leader even in the busiest of places. The hooded, purple robed figures stood out even more than Malik, completely shrouded in their purple garb, but among them, Ryou was the only one who was different, having not a smidgen of purple on him.

_'I don't know which stands out more. Them because of their ridiculous cloaks, or me by association.'_ Ryou said. Bakura ignored him, leaving him with only silence as a reply.

Ryou spotted Malik, who had pulled off to the side of the road, parking in a makeshift parking lot to the side of what appeared to be a café. Ryou pulled in behind him, getting off.

"Your sister hid the pieces of your collection in a pub." Ryou smirked. "Good choice."

"The items aren't here." Malik sneered, glaring.

"Then why are we here?" Ryou snarled.

"Does it matter?" Malik asked, smiling as though he were taunting Ryou. He pulled his helmet off and hung it on the handlebars of his red motorcycle.

"I want to be done with helping you as soon as possible. I have my own collection to gather, not to mention my own life to live." Ryou snapped.

Malik walked inside as he said, "The first location is here in Cairo, but we must wait till nightfall to go and retrieve the item."

"It's only seven in the morning." Ryou groaned, sitting down at a table opposite of the Egyptian. "That's almost fourteen hours!"

"We wait here." Malik said in a no-questions-asked tone. Malik was used to being obeyed. Ryou wasn't exactly used to obeying though.

"Not likely. I'll help you get your items, but if you're going to sit around here all day, then I'm going out. I'll be back here at nine." He stood up and began walking towards the door.

"If you disobey me, you'll risk the terms of our deal. I don't have to deliver the Rod to you." Malik said coldly.

Ryou turned around sharply, glaring. "Try me, Malik. You don't even know what I did to make sure you didn't take a one-way trip to the Shadow Realm. You'll follow through, or you're going to pay for it." He walked out the door, ignoring the odd looks some of the café's other patrons gave him.

_'That display was almost worthy of me.'_ Bakura observed.

_'I don't like being ordered around._' Ryou explained tersely. _'Besides, I was telling the truth. If you'd had your way he'd be gone by now…I'm starting to think that would've been a better idea. Malik's an insecure kid holding a grudge against a dead Pharaoh, and now he's dragged me into it. It's pathetic.'_

_'Indecisive, are we? Only 24 hours ago you were pleading on behalf of this mortal imbecile. Now you wish you'd allowed me to handle things my way.'_

_'When I wanted to protect Malik, he wasn't a high-and-mighty jerk. I didn't think he deserved it.'_ Ryou swerved around a corner, turning the bike to avoid other cars.

_'If you've had such a total change of heart, then we could still challenge him. We've wasted enough time already, and I tire of the delays.'_

Ryou was honestly considering it, but then he shook his head and thought, _'I made a promise. I don't break the promises I make… That's the only reason I'm still helping you.'_

_'If you're so keen to keep your word, then perhaps you should give it less freely.'_ Bakura advised.

_'You didn't give me very much of a choice._' Ryou reminded him.

_'I think we could agree that I'm an exception.'_ Bakura smirked.

_'Oh I agree_.' Ryou said. _'Exceptionally annoying. Exceptionally sadistic. Exceptionally insane…'_ He was cut off as a wave of mental pain, a warning from Bakura, burned on his mind. He winced, trying to focus more on the road than Bakura.

A large building stood up ahead. Some banners advertising exhibitions were hung from its walls. On the side of the building was a large plaque stating that this was the Museum of Cairo. Curious, Ryou pulled his bike to the side of the busy street and parked.

_'And where do you think you're going?'_

_'The museum, smart one. I have nothing better to do for the next few hours.'_ Ryou replied sarcastically, earning himself another bout of headache inducing mental jabs. Snatching the keys from the motorcycle, and then jogging up the steps a few at a time. He almost didn't even see the tan, robed man before him until he'd almost run him down. He tripped backwards, almost falling down the stairs. Steadying himself with one hand, he grabbed the Millennium Puzzle and Ring around his neck with the other to keep them from swinging around wildly.

"Watch it." He snapped at the man, stepping around him before heading inside. He didn't even notice the man's eyes follow him up the stairs and into the museum, didn't see him shake his head as though disappointed, and didn't see him suddenly disappear completely from the museum stairs.

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Well, Hope you enjoyed! Reviews are appreciate to NO END! I write for reviews, kay? If writing were living, reviews would be _food._ More soon, so keep an eye on it!


	16. Chapter 16: Warnings

A/N: Haha, WOW, I hate that I don't get updates out enough. I just wanted to apologize for the last chapter real quick. I realized (with the help of a valued Reviewer) that Ryou was asking lots of questions and sounding really...out of character (Is that a contradiction, given the circumstances of the story? HAHA) Anyways, I edited it slightly, but how I see it is that this story is a first draft. If I were to go back when it were done and fix all of it so it had more fluff and flowed better, that would be fixed, but as for right now... It's fanfiction. Live with it 'kay? I hope I made up for it with this chapter anyways. :)

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The Cairo Museum was buzzing with tourists and people coming to view all the collected and preserved artifacts from another time.

Ryou glanced over his shoulder warily, his observant brown gaze flitting from face to face of the many tourists ambling along the displays in Cairo's busy museum. After a moment he turned his attention back to the display he stood in front of. He wasn't really interested, but being at the museum was better than sitting back at the café with Malik and his devout followers.

A distinct feeling of unease rippled over him, raising the hair on the back of his neck, and he turned his face to look discreetly around the room again. Nothing had changed. A few new groups of tourists and a small school group had entered, but other than that nothing was suspicious.

So why did he feel like someone was watching him?

'_You're paranoid.' _Bakura commented.

Ryou frowned in irritation. _'This is not paranoia. Someone is following us.' _He walked casually into the next room, a large display of Ancient Egyptian weaponry, all the time glancing back behind him to check for anyone that seemed to be sticking close to him or looked suspicious.

But no one seemed to fit the feeling. Everyone else in the museum were just normal visitors, going about their business.

He grit his teeth together in frustration, unable to shake the unnerving sense that someone was watching him, following him, despite that he couldn't seem to find them. And the feeling had been plaguing him since he'd first entered the museum, getting steadily worse as time went on and still Ryou couldn't find anything abnormal about anyone else around him.

'_This isn't just in my head…' _Ryou hissed, feeling the need to defend himself against the skeptical spirit. _'You should know.' _He added snidely.

'_No one is following you.' _Bakura snapped assuredly, becoming irritated by Ryou's incessant suspicion. But there was an edge of caution in his tone. He could feel clearly the sensation of being watched that was putting Ryou on edge, and he knew that the boy wasn't just making it up. It _did_ feel like someone was watching them, but Ryou had looked around the room enough that he probably knew the inhabitants by heart. No one was there, following them as the teen suspected.

Ryou grimaced as he went into another room, stopping by a large sarcophagus in the center, and, for what seemed like the thousandth time, looked around to examine the rest of the room and its small population of visitors.

'_Even if someone is following us, are you honestly concerned that I couldn't handle them myself? Although, if you are truly that worried about it, you could always go back to the café. I'm sure that Ishtar and his Rare Hunters could protect you from your invisible stalker.' _

'_Ha-ha, very funny. Defending myself isn't what I'm worried about, and even if it was I would never go running back to that egomaniac and his cronies to ask for help.' _

Bakura laughed. _'You are as the baka no Pharaoh said. As stubborn as an ox. And so we come to an impasse. You aren't willing to believe that your instincts are deceiving you, you aren't willing to ask another for help, you simply wish to stand here and wait.'_

Ryou turned around, intending to go back into the other room, when something caught his eye. It was a flash of gold that had sparkled brightly as someone took a picture and the flash reflected off of it. The gold was in the shape of an Ankh, but also looked like it could be a key to open something. It was dangling around the neck of a man in a long cream colored robe and turban.

'_It's that guy!'_ Ryou exclaimed mentally.

'_Fascinating.' _Bakura said, sounding bored.

'_No,_' Ryou explained, _'listen. That's the guy I almost ran into on the stairs outside. He must be the one who's following me…' _Ryou paused, looking at the golden Ankh around the man's neck. _'Bakura, I think he has an Item… Are you even paying attention?' _Ryou asked in annoyance. Here he'd just found the sixth Millennium Item and Bakura wasn't even giving it a thought.

The man turned slightly, and his eyes suddenly were riveted on Ryou. The teen pretended to be interested in the display before him, but kept a sideways glance on the man who was still staring unashamedly at him. His eyes were an icy blue, and they were solemn, flat. They almost seemed emotionless, but there was just a hint of importance. He looked like a person with responsibilities, a person who had things to do and places to go. But why was he following Ryou?

The Ring-Spirit appeared ethereally beside Ryou, his insubstantial form almost melding with the human's at his side. Everyone around them in the museum was oblivious to the spirit, only visible to Ryou's eyes…except for the man with the Millennium Ankh. His eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly and he bowed his head slightly, his frigid azure gaze never leaving Ryou's face.

'_Well?' _Ryou asked, his own mocha brown gaze hardening as he watched the man watching him.

'_Well what?' _Bakura asked, his crimson-brown eyes also trapped on the mysterious robed man across the room.

'_Well, aren't you going to challenge him to a Shadow Game?' _Ryou asked, his tone indicating that _duh, that was obvious. _

'_Well look who's warmed up to the challenge. You seem to be excited about the prospect of gaining another Millennium Item, Yadonushi.' _Bakura said with a smirk, breaking his gaze with the man to look down at Ryou.

'_Not quite.' _Ryou disagreed argumentatively. _'I just want to get it over with. Since you won't leave until we finish your little quest, I just want to be done with it…' _

'_Keep telling yourself that. We both know that you enjoy stealing the Items.' _Bakura chuckled. _'And, in any case, challenging him to a Shadow Game is easier said than done, and do you care to know why?' _

'_You're going to tell me even if I say 'no', so why bother asking.' _Ryou said, rolling his eyes casually.

Bakura gave him a derisive sneer then continued, _'His name is Shadi. He may appear as real as you, but in reality he's a spirit from my own time…like the Pharaoh. But, though he's a spirit, he can interact on this plane, behaving and appearing as any normal human. I had made it a point to destroy him in my lifetime, but he managed to retain a wisp of life somehow, allowing him an anchor on this earth. What's worse, he retained more than a scrap of his life; he also retained not only his original Millennium Item, but a second Item as well. He still has them both. Inconveniently, he also placed himself as Keeper and Protector of the Millennium Items to avoid people like me getting their hands on them.' _

Bakura touched the Puzzle hanging around Ryou's neck, pausing. Then he continued, his face darkening as he looked up from the Item and back to the other spirit. _'Essentially he's made it his job to find the _true_ owners of the Items, humans whose spirits are destined to own the Millennium Items for better or worse. When he finds them he ensures that each and every Item stays with its respective master. It is he who gave your father the Millennium Ring to give to you, because, as a partial reincarnation of me, you were destined to have it.'_

Lifting the puzzle in his hand, Ryou thought of the spirit inside, and of its first owner, Yugi. And he thought of the Eye in his pocket, the property of a comatose Maximilian Pegasus…and the Necklace, having been discreetly taken from its slumbering owner only the night before. All stolen.

'_So this isn't a coincidence.' _Ryou said slowly. '_He's going to try and take back the Millennium Items because they don't rightfully belong to us.' _

'_Yes, that is what he intends to do, if we let him. We _could_ challenge him to a Shadow Game, winner takes all, but…it's a risk, a gamble that I'm not willing to make quite yet.' _

'_Bakura, he only has the Ankh and the Scale. We have the Millennium Ring, Puzzle, Eye and the Necklace.'_ A smirk slid onto Ryou's face. _'Don't tell me you're losing your nerve _now_.' _He said derisively. He turned and went into the other room, distancing himself from Shadi who was still standing frozen on the other side of the room, his bright blue eyes following them carefully.

Bakura raised an eyebrow, following, and looking down on Ryou like a parent speaking to an irritating child. _'No, but unlike some ignorant humans, I use my brain before jumping into a situation. Now try to listen, and I'll explain why I don't want to take those Items quite yet, though I know that it is difficult for you._

'_The powers of the Scales are few. It has the ability to weigh one's heart, and the scale will tip in accordance to the good or evil within their soul. It can also meld any two entities into one. The Millennium Scale is not what concerns me.' _Bakura's eyes narrowed. _'But the Ankh is another matter. Though it pales in comparison to the vast powers of the Ring, Eye, and Puzzle combined, the Ankh is still formidable simply for the ease of which it can deliver its magic. One misstep, a single mistake in the game, and combating its powers would become utterly impossible and the game would be lost. _

'_You see, Hikari, it has the power to unlock one's mind. Shadi, through that Item, can enter your mind and search your soul, seeking the truth… But the Ankh can be used in a considerably more unpleasant way as well. Rather than just enter your mind, with a simple command, Shadi could unhinge it. By ravaging your mind, and inflicting untold amounts of irreparable damage with the Ankh's Shadow Powers, he could easily drive you to insanity and only then would he take that which was stolen. That is a fate perhaps even worse than the Shadow Realm, for even in the Shadows one can retain their sanity through force of will.' _

Ryou frowned, but didn't comment. The now-familiar brush of uneasiness swept over him again, and out loud he snapped quietly, "The guy just needs to take a hint and get the—"

He was suddenly cut off as right in front of him the air rippled, like water that had just been disturbed. It wavered, becoming more and more unsteady, almost pulsing with energy, and a point of white light slowly appeared out of the center. Ryou looked around, wondering why the other tourists weren't concerned that the _air_ in the room had just become of a liquid consistency and had light coming out of nowhere, and found that they seemed to be…frozen.

A woman was bent over, speaking into a child's ear. A man was paused, mid-snapshot, of a group of schoolboys standing stiffly in front of an upright mummy. An old woman was reaching out to grab the arm of a man who was tripping over his own feet. The entire scene had taken on a sort of blue-gray tinge, making everyone look almost corpse-like. It was like a snapshot, only life-sized.

"What…?" Ryou asked, eyeing the frozen people, and then turning his attention back to the rippling air which, the teen now noticed, was humming distinctly.

'_It seems that our Ankh-bearing friend isn't about to let us leave without delivering his message.' _Bakura said angrily.

No sooner had the words echoed through Ryou's head, the robed man rose up out of nowhere, appearing from within the center of the currents of air waves.

"Ryou Bakura." He said, as he appeared. "I have come to deliver a message, and a warning. You are meddling with strong forces that you cannot control. You have taken that which does not belong to you. You have named yourself a Millennium Thief. And you seek to begin the reign of Zorc the Dark One and unleash the endless powers of the Shadow Realm."

"I don't—" Ryou began, but the spirit continued, ignoring his protest.

"You have reached a fork in the road, and your destiny is split in two ways. One will lead to endless misery, the other to the salvation of your life and your mind. If you wish to spare your own soul from eternal torment, you must choose the correct path. Return the Items to their proper owners and free their souls from the undeserving fate that you have given them of your own volition and no harm shall befall you. However, if you should choose to continue in this search for power, you shall be judged by the very Items you have taken into your possession.

"The choices that you make in the future will determine your fate. I will return after seven cycles of Ra. Pray that you have taken the correct path when I do so, or you will regret the consequences of your actions."

The man's ice blue eyes bore into him, and slowly he began to dematerialize.

"Hey! If you think that you can threaten me and then just leave then you've got another thing coming." Ryou snarled, reaching out to grab the man by his creamy robe before he could disappear completely. But as his hand came into contact with the fabric, it went right through. He tripped forward from the surprise of expecting to feel something solid and instead grabbing at thin air.

"_In seven days, I will return."_ , echoed Shadi's voice from the rippling air as he disappeared completely. The air settled, once again becoming insubstantial and invisible. There was a breath of silence, and then the museum unfroze and people continued as though nothing had happened. Like someone had pressed the Play button in a paused movie. The colors returned to normal, the grayish-blue tinge seeping away. Ryou was left standing in the middle of the room staring at the spot where the ancient spirit had just stood only seconds before.

'_In seven days we will have the Millennium Rod, an Item that, like the Ankh, is of the mind. We'll be prepared to combat him when he returns.' _Bakura said matter-of-factly.

'_He said I was a Millennium Thief.' _Ryou said, slowly making his way to the exit of the museum, replaying the words in his head over and over.

'_Congratulations.' _Bakura smirked. _'You've earned yourself a title.' _

'_But…a Millennium Thief?' _Ryou asked incredulously. _'I can't believe so many people are as stupid as you. I mean, honestly, how many people have to have been insane enough to try and steal these things that there's an actually _title_ for it.' _

'_Stupidity and ambition are very different things, Host. The allure of unlimited power and unquestioned dominion is a difficult one to resist.' _Bakura hissed heatedly.

'_Don't get offended.' _Ryou said, his tone sounding like he was enjoying picking at the spirit's nerves. _'You know that I don't like having you around. Insults just come naturally.' _

'_Well perhaps you should learn to control your tongue.' _Bakura snapped, emphasizing his point with a searing heat behind Ryou's eyes that caused him to trip as he went down the stairs of the museum to the Motorcycle he was borrowing from Malik.

'_Hey! Watch when you decide to give me sudden headaches and try to fry my brain out of my skull, okay? One of these days you're going to get pissed off by something I say and give me a mental jab while I'm driving down the middle of the road and I'll end up dead. Then where would _you_ be?' _Ryou said, his amusement gone with the arrival of Bakura's punishments.

'_You know you bring it upon yourself.' _Bakura mentioned snidely. '_And as to your question, I would be fine if you died. I don't depend on you. I'd soon find a new Host and my quest would continue as before. It would be a mere setback.' _

'_Sure._' Ryou said, kicking the motorcycle into gear and ripping out onto the street until he was forced to a crawl by traffic. He wasn't sure how people could stand living here, or even visiting here. Were giant stone geometric shapes really _that_ intriguing? So much that tourists were willing to sit through this to see them? Being stuck in this sludge was maddening!

Switching lanes, Ryou sped up only to get caught behind a bus that was behind a taxi who was yelling at a man with a cart to hurry up and cross the street. Bikes slid by on the road's shoulder, moving far faster than the cars trapped in their lanes. Ryou checked his watch impatiently. It was around 3:00, Cairo time. He'd actually killed quite a bit of time at the museum. More time than he'd expected, but he still didn't want to head back to the café just yet.

'_Let me take over.' _Bakura said.

'_Yeah right, so you can go play while I watch from the side? No.'_ Ryou disagreed, revving the motorcycle's engine into a loud growl, causing a few people on the sidewalks to glance at him. Heat flooded his arms and he quickly realized that Bakura had taken control of them.

'_You are going to kill us. We're going to die. You don't even know how to drive a motorcycle!' _Ryou snapped, struggling to regain control of his immobile limbs. He glanced down at his hands, pressing the gas and breaks rhythmically with the ebb and flow of traffic against his will.

'_I _am _in your mind. Your knowledge is my knowledge. And I'm not going to kill us. I've driven one before, after we stole the Puzzle and delivered our offer to the Pharaoh's brat Hikari, if you recall.' _Bakura said calmly in an I-know-better-than-you-do type of voice.

Traffic picked up and soon they were out of the city limits. Ryou could only watch from behind his own eyes, unable to use his own body, and not knowing where the heck they were going. Bakura was steadfastly ignoring him, and so finally he gave up on the Tomb-robber and, for lack of anything better to do, tried to open up the link between himself and the Pharaoh.

'_Hey, got a minute?' _He started, probing the entity in the Puzzle. The spirit didn't answer. _'There's nothing else you could be doing, and I know you can hear me!' _Ryou snapped in irritation.

'_The Thief informed you that speaking with me would earn you misery and torment, and I believe that he'll make good on that promise.' _The Pharaoh said remotely, his tone aloof and distant.

'_I'm stubborn. Both of you have pointed that out to me. And right now I'm bored out of my mind…okay, well not literally, but you know.' _

'_So I'm merely a source of entertainment while you have no control of yourself.' _The spirit confirmed.

'_Did you expect more?' _Ryou asked derisively.

'_I never stop wishing for you to see sense, Ryou. Before it's too late, I hope. Perhaps you should take Shadi's advice, if mine is inadequate for you.' _He said, trying to sound indifferent, but an edge of worry was evident in his tone no matter how much he tried to mask it.

'_Look, I'm not looking for a heartfelt chat, okay? I just want something to do until Bakura finishes whatever it is he's doing.' _

The Pharaoh sent a mental shrug to him, and said, _'Suit yourself, Ryou, but I promise you that Shadi will destroy you to restore equilibrium. You are a Millennium Thief, and he won't hesitate because you're a child.' _

'_Okay, okay, yeah, I'm a Millennium Thief. I get it. But, as stupid as Bakura is, he does use his head. If he thinks we can beat Shadi with the Millennium Rod than I'm not worried, so get off my case!' _Ryou snapped.

'_As always, you fail to see the point.' _The spirit said in resignation.

'_Whatever._' Ryou said. _'I know this probably sounds random, but how much do you know about Bakura's plans?' _

'_Little.' _He answered shortly.

'_Well…not to stay on the subject of me or anything, but that Shadi freak. He said that _I_ was trying to unleash Zorc the Dark One. I don't even know who that is, though. So, I'm being falsely accused.' _He mentioned, his tone sharp but thoughtful.

There was a long pause, the sound of the motorcycle on the road humming in Ryou's head. _'I remember very little of my past, Ryou. Most of it is clouded, forgotten…I remember Bakura, but only as my enemy, nothing of the Thief as a human being. I know he seeks to destroy the world for revenge through the Millennium Items…but I do not know the exact means by which he will accomplish this, and I do not know the reason why. The name, _Zorc_, it sounds familiar, but I don't know anything of it beyond that.' _

'_I'll have to take it up with my parasitic friend, then.' _Ryou said dryly. Just then Bakura turned off of the road and began going across the hard rock and weed covered sand until he came to the bank of a wide river. The motorcycle's loud roar faded and stopped completely. Bakura stepped off of the bike and stepped up to the shore. Ryou watched through his eyes, gazing at the mud-brown river. Some random debris floated down the current, disappearing beneath small lulls and reappearing farther down.

Ryou concentrated and appeared ethereally beside Bakura. "The Nile?" He asked the spirit, who was gazing out at the murky water somberly. His eyes were cold and distant, and he seemed strangely muted, calm. His fiery temper was gone, for the moment at least. "You brought us all the way out here to look at a dirty river." Ryou said in a stoic tone.

"Feh, Mortal. You understand so very little of what goes on around you." Bakura snorted, tucking his hands in the pockets of Ryou's jacket. "Even today the Nile River is the lifeblood of Egypt. And in my time, it was more than that. It was life itself. Everything, every single thing, revolved around the Nile. Without it life would never have existed here."

"O-okay." Ryou said, drawing out the O. "And so the point is…?"

Bakura shook his head. "I wouldn't waste my time trying to explain to you." He said, his gaze trailing a thin line of plastic garbage that was flowing from the direction of the city.

"Whatever…it's still just a river." Ryou sighed negatively, running his nonexistent hands through his nonexistent hair. He turned and found the Pyramids on the horizon, much closer now than when they'd been in the city and they'd been mere dots in the distance. "If we were going to go sight-seeing we should've gone to the Pyramids." He stated, gesturing vaguely at them.

"Pointless. The Pyramids were after my time. I have no connection to them." Bakura answered coldly.

"So you'd rather look at a dirty old river than go see the largest stone constructions from the ancient world just because you weren't around while they were built."

"You hit the nail on the head, Host." Bakura smirked and Ryou groaned in annoyance.

They sat at the river, Ryou still bored, until the sun began sinking lower and lower into the sky. Unsuccessfully, Ryou had tried to force control back at regular intervals, but Bakura had stubbornly sat on the river's bank and blocked their mind link with a massive wall that the teen couldn't have broken down if he tried.

Ryou was straddled across the bike, his insubstantial head resting on the handlebars and his arms thrown carelessly over the handles themselves. "This is _the_ most boring day of my life." He muttered callously glancing at the sinking orange disk in the sky.

"I disagree. That day you simply sat at the Hotel in Florida was rather _boring_." Bakura said smartly, having come to stand right beside the motorcycle and causing Ryou to jump slightly. "Oh, did I startle you?" Bakura asked sarcastically.

"Are you finally finished? I mean really, You've been looking at that stupid river all afternoon!" Ryou said angrily, sitting up. "And I want my body back now. You've had it since the museum."

Ryou disappeared as Bakura sat down on the bike. _'Nightfall. Isn't that what Ishtar told us?' _

'_It's what he told _me_. He doesn't even know about you. And I want my body back, _now_!' _

'_No…I think I'll retain control for awhile. You need to learn your place anyways.' _Bakura hissed, his face twisted into a cold amused smile, all remnants of his calm somber attitude at the river gone in the dust as they sped away back towards the city.

'_Uh, no! Malik will know that you aren't me. You aren't that good of an actor. In fact, you aren't a good actor at all. He's going to notice and then your whole plan is blown. You are still not even listening to me!' _Ryou ranted.

'_You talk too much. It's easiest to just ignore you, baka no hikari.' _Bakura said simply.

'_Well it's impossible to ignore you!' _Ryou growled.

They argued like that all the way back to the city, Ryou ranting and arguing heatedly while Bakura gave him simple catty responses, which just angered Ryou more and he'd go off again.

The sun was sitting on the sandy horizon, sinking behind the great pyramids. They rolled into the café's small parking lot where Malik's red bike was still parked. Other motorcycles were in the parking lot now as well, and along the curb, and in the next lot over.

'_Jeez, he does have a lot of these guys.' _Ryou muttered as Bakura sauntered into the café casually.

"So you actually decided to come back." Malik snarled as Bakura walked up to the booth he was seated at with a pair of purple-clad Rare Hunters.

"I said I'd be back at nine. It's nine. You shouldn't be surprised." He said coldly, jerking his head at a digital clock that informed anyone who cared to know that it was five minutes past nine' o'clock. "I have something to gain from this too you know." He said, throwing a glare at the Rare Hunters who, after nodding at Malik, took their leave and went to a small group sitting at a booth on the other side of the café. Bakura, still under his guise as Ryou, slid into the booth and tapped his fingers impatiently on the table.

"Yes, yes, the Millennium Rod." Malik said easily, leaning back. "But before you get it you'll get a display of its powers. Our first target is in the vaults of the Cairo Museum."

"What a coincidence. I was just there today." Bakura said sardonically, raising an eyebrow.

"How fortunate, we won't have to give you the tour of the place." Malik replied icily.

Bakura's lips twitched into a smirk, and his eyes narrowed sharply.

'_Don't overdo it, or he's going to realize I'm not acting normal.' _Ryou said in irritation.

'_Calm down.' _Bakura snarled. _'Simply because you won't admit that I can imitate you to perfection doesn't mean that everyone will realize there's been a slight change of personality.' _

Just then a Rare Hunter shuffled up to the table. "Master Malik, sir, the museum closed ten minutes ago. We are ready to start the Hunt." He said nasally, his voice hitching and catching every few words.

"_The_ _Hunt? _Can't get enough of the drama, can you sunshine?" Bakura said, leaning forward on one arm with a cynical grin.

"Back off, Ryou, or you'll become as mindless as the rest of these fools." Malik growled, shifting out of the booth and holding the Millennium Rod threateningly so that it caught the light of the dimly lit café and gleamed brightly.

"Easy, _Master Malik_, I just want to get this over with." Bakura said, holding up his hands defensively.

'_And so do I.' _Ryou put in. _'You're really going to make me watch this whole thing. You're a control freak, Bakura.'_

'_Shut your mouth. Try to pay attention without forcing me to listen to your ceaseless commentary.' _Bakura hissed, momentarily crippling Ryou's bodiless mind with a sharp mental blow.

"Well, aren't you coming, or would you prefer to sit around here for the rest of the night?" Malik asked impatiently, standing at the door, his purple robe flowing around his feet in the slight breeze from outside.

"Sorry, I was just wondering what could be so important that it was locked in the vaults of Domino's museum." Bakura improvised suavely, smartly striding past the blonde Egyptian.

"The first piece of three that shall put me that much closer to finishing my own collection, Ryou. It's a very _valuable _collection."

"It should be, with how much care you've taken in collecting it." Bakura said with a casual laugh. "I mean, Ra, you've gathered almost three dozen useless pawns just to serve you in going to find the items in question."

'…_because that is so something I would say.' _Ryou grimaced, stubbornly continuing to add his silent input to the conversation. _'You're going to blow it and he's going to stab us to death with his stupid knife-in-disguise.' _

"Honestly, do you really need all of these freaks?" Continued the demon, at the same time sending a very clear message to Ryou that if he didn't shut up he was going to find himself unconscious and then he wouldn't even be able to watch the events.

Sliding the helmet onto his head and throwing a suspicious glance at Bakura, Malik said, "Yes." and left it at that.

With nightfall, traffic had become less sluggish and was moving relatively quick. They arrived at the museum after a short drive. The museum itself was far less inviting in the dark. It was tall, daunting, abandoned; the only lights were small security lamps set on the outside of the building. The bright red stone was the color of congealed blood under the cover of darkness. The white entryway gleamed in the meager light of the stars and the bright silvery tint of the rising moon.

The mirror like glass windows reflected the moon as well, creating ghostly shadows across the courtyard like front of the building. A few stone sphinxes stood guard and the regal gaze of a stone-cast pharaoh gazed down on them from either side of the door.

A breeze whistled past the stone statues as they came to a halt. A sly grin cast itself over Bakura's face and Malik glared at him

"Enjoying yourself?" he asked, pulling the hood of his cloak over his blonde hair, concealing his face, and, with an escort of ten Rare Hunters, he made his way to the entry.

The smile on Bakura's face grew. "More than you know, Ishtar." He said softly. A spike of adrenaline rushed through Bakura's host body and he was reminded why he'd been a thief for the entirety of his life. It was a thrill. Stealing Millennium Items was his ultimate goal, the one thing that consumed his desires, but stealing the Items wasn't so simplistic as going into a place and taking whatever you felt like having. And, having no connection to Malik's collection, whatever it was, made this whole experience pure thievery on Bakura's part, like stepping back into the past when he'd been able to steal for the sake of stealing every day.

Flexing his fingers, he followed after the posse of Egyptians, stalking silently to the door. They all stood around, watching something. Bakura leaned forward, noticing with mild surprise that there was actually a security guard standing in the midst of all the Rare Hunters. Unlocking the door for them, no less. Had he just been outmanned and given in? Bakura wondered. Then the guard turned around and the reason for his willingness became clear.

A bright glowing Eye of Wdjat seared on the skin of the guard's forehead. With empty eyes he pulled the key out and opened the door for Malik and the rest to enter. Bakura grimaced. He didn't like working with Ishtar. The boy was an arrogant brat, and his Item was a powerful threat, although he'd never be able to overcome the combined powers of the Ring and Puzzle. Still…it irked him to have an Item so close at hand and not be able to simply take it for himself.

The large group of men had taken a sharp left down a hall and then stopped at a gray metal door. Once again, the guard was being utilized for his key. Why they didn't just take the key and slaughter the guard, Bakura didn't know, but no matter.

The walls, descending with the stairs, suddenly became metal instead of the stone, stucco, and sheetrock that made up the rest of the building's walls.

"This is probably the most exhilarating experience you've had in your English life." Malik said presumably, falling behind his Rare Hunters to walk beside Bakura.

"Actually, this is rather boring." Bakura snapped, narrowing his eyes at the Egyptian.

A blonde eyebrow raised curiously, but up ahead a voice called in Arabic, "Hey, what do you think you're doing down here!"

Malik lengthened his strides and shoved through the Rare Hunters. Following behind to see what was going on, Bakura saw that they'd been stopped by a small group of security guards and a man in a suit. It was the man in the suit that had spoken. His skin was dark, and his head was wrapped in a turban.

"You'll be arrested for being down here."

"Not if I have anything to say about it." Malik said with a smile and he lifted his Millennium Rod. It began glowing brightly, and every guard dropped motionlessly to the floor. The man in the suit gained the glowing Eye of Wdjat that indicated his mind was in the control of Malik. "Now, take us inside." He ordered.

The security guard, eyes blank, mouth hanging open slightly, turned automatically and walked into the room that lay before them. Artifacts lined the walls. Many were made of gold, some were made of stone or wood, and all were priceless. A glass case on one end of the room was filled with gemmed golden articles of jewelry that glinted in the dim security lights on the ceiling.

While Malik and his mind slave moved to the center of the room, and the army of worthless Egyptians fanned out to stand watchfully on the edges of the room, Bakura went to investigate the gems that were so tantalizingly gleaming.

His fingers ran gently over the glass, knowing that it would be simplicity to take what was there… But that was not his task. He didn't have the time or the means to cart pounds of priceless jewelry around with him.

A series of beeps sounded and Bakura turned to watch as the suit that Malik had 'hired' punched in the code that would open the large metal box that sat in the center of the room. What could Malik, a boy born in the middle-of-nowhere desert, possibly want that required so much security?

The lid of the metal box split in half as the man finished entering the code. Each half slid over and then turned vertically and settled on the sides of the box itself. Malik just stood there for a moment, a wicked grin on his face. Carefully, and slowly, he reached his arm into the box and pulled out…

A card, encased in a square of glass.

Bakura's eyes widened slightly. He recognized the brown design on the back of the glass-enclosed card.

"Duel Monsters?" He asked, causing Malik to turn and face him. "Are you serious? You had to break into a museum to get a _Duel Monsters_ card?" His reaction was only partially an act.

The Egyptian teen rolled his eyes and flipped the card so that the face was visible. The dim lights shone off the card brightly.

"Ra." Bakura hissed in shock, walking forward quickly to get a better look at it. The picture was undeniably the image of Ra's glorious Winged Dragon. The carving of the giant phoenix had been carved in the Pharaoh's Temple, his Palace… Every single 'sacred guardian', the men and women who had sworn to protect the Pharaoh in his lifetime, had had the Winged Dragon of Ra carved into their Tablet Sanctuary, the sacred place where the essence of Shadow Beasts had been contained. He hadn't seen the likeness of the beast since his lifetime, more than 3000 years before.

"So you've heard of the Winged Dragon of Ra, have you?" Malik smirked.

"Heard of it? Ha, _Pegasus_, he was a fool to try and contain the power of Ra in a card." Bakura spat. Malik's face twisted in confusion.

"How do you know so much?" He asked angrily. "The creation of the Winged Dragon of Ra was never revealed to the public. The fact that it has power beyond that of being a good playing card should be unknown by_ any_ save the Tomb-Keepers and the creator!"

"Does that irritate you, Ishtar? To meet someone who knows as much as you?" Bakura hissed, his eyes not leaving the card.

'_Well so much for pretending to be me.' _Ryou groaned. _'Not to be immature, but I told you so.' _

Bakura ignored him, intent on Malik. "You know some of the ancient ways, obviously, but you don't know everything, Ryou. Don't make the mistake of thinking you do." Malik said, slipping the glass-covered card into his robe easily.

"Heh." Bakura snorted, leaning forward slightly. "I've dropped the act, so I'd prefer to be called by my name and not that of my Host. He, after all, knows next to nothing."

"_Your _name?" Malik asked, having been brought up short by Bakura's comment. He was clearly confused now. The Rare Hunters on the edges of the room shifted uneasily. Their hooded heads turned to throw glances at each other. Every one was wondering the same thing that Malik was. If this wasn't the English boy who'd first joined them, than _who was it_?

"Hm, it seems I'm not the only one who doesn't _know everything_. Perhaps you're the one who's made the mistake of thinking you did." Bakura smirked, moving towards the exit. "Now, I believe we have what we came for, so are we going to wait for security to pull itself together or are we going to leave?"

Clenching his teeth, Malik jerked his head sharply and the Rare Hunters filed past Bakura and up the stairs, exiting swiftly and silently. "If you are not Ryou, than who are you?" Malik asked, his voice calm again, his attitude in control.

"I am called Bakura. And I'm in no way the least of your worries, Ishtar, as you seem to believe. I still expect you to uphold your end of the deal." Bakura said with narrowed eyes.

There was a long pause, Malik studying him analytically. "Everyone will get what they deserve in the end." Malik finally assured him.

Bakura smiled, rolling Malik's choice of words around his mind. Finally he nodded and said, "Yes. I agree."

Bakura smiled wider, bearing his sharp teeth. His hand brushed the Millennium Ring. _The tables are turning. _He thought to himself._ Ishtar thinks he's in control…he couldn't be more wrong. _

Okay. Please give me your input and leave a review!!! PLEASE!

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